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OUR    COUNTRY 

ITS  POSSIBLE  FUTURE  AND  ITS 
PRESENT  CRISIS. 


BY 

REV.   JOSIAH  STRONG,   D.D., 

General  Secretary  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  for  the 
United  States,  New  York. 


WITH  AN   introduction  BY 

PROF.  AUSTIN   PHELPS,  D.D. 


REVISED  EDITION,   BASED  ON  THE    CENSUS    OF  1890, 


One  Hundred  and  Forty-Third  Thousand. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE     BAKER    &    TAYLOR     CO. 

740  &  742  Broadway,  New  York. 

FOR 

THE  AMERICAN  HOME  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


Copyright,  1883  axd  Ibtil,  by 
THE  AMERICAN  HOME  MISSIOXARY  SOCIETY. 


t^  Cotfon  (jjreBs  . 

171,  173  M.-icdou-.;aI  Street,  N-w  York 


I'REFACE  TO  THE  REVISED  EDITION 


Living  issues  have  changing  aspects  The  first  edition 
of  "Our  Country,"  which  was  prepared  for  the  Ameri- 
can Home  ^Missionary  Society  when  the  author  was  its 
representative  in  Ohio,  appeared  early  in  1886,  and  most 
of  the  book  was  written  a  year  earlier.  Although  I  en- 
deavored to  apply  to  the  subjects  discussed  fundamental 
principles,  which  remain  equally  applicable  to-day,  the 
statistical  treatment  of  these  living  issues  renders  revis- 
ion, after  six-  years,  quite  essential  to  the  further  useful- 
ness of  the  book.  Moreover  the  census  of  1890  marks 
the  present  as  a  favorable  time  for  such  revision.  Al- 
though important  results  of  the  census  will  not  be  avail- 
able for  many  months  and  even  for  years  to  come, 
the  Superintendent,  Hon.  Eobert  P.  Porter,  has  kindly 
furnished  me  with  much  valuable  infox^mation. 

The  favorable  reception  accorded  to  the  book  would 
seem  to  be  suflacient  reason  for  its  revision.  Perhaps  it 
may  be  of  interest  to  state  that  in  addition  to  the  130,000 
copies  which  have  passed  into  circulation,  a  large  part, 
if  not  the  whole  of  the  book,  has  been  reprinted  by  the 
daily  press,  prominent  papers  in  the  East,  West,  South 
and  in  Canada,  each  having  printed  from  one  to  three 
chapters  entire.  Four  chapters  Avere  re-published  in  Lon- 
don and  one  in  Glasgow.  The  book  has  been  translated 
into  one  foreign  language,  and  numerous  propositions 
have  been  received  relative  to  translating  it  into  others. 

I  am  devoutly  thankful  to  God  that  he  has  used  the 


book  to  jK'Complish  in  some  measure  what  was  intended 
by  it.  No  one,  I  am  sure,  can  have  been  more  sensible 
of  its  defects  than  myself. 

This  revised  edition  has  the  benefit  of  criticisms  made 
on  earlier  editions.  It  sui-ely  is  not  strange  that  among 
some  thousantls  of  statements  of  fact  a  number  of  errors 
should  have  been  found,  due  in  most  instances  to  having 
accepted  statements  or  estimates  from  men  eminent 
enough,  but  not  authorities  on  the  point  quoted;  e.  g., 
Mr.  Gladstones  estimate  (p.  98.)  that  "manufacturing 
power,  by  the  aid  of  mat;liinery,  doubles  for  the  world 
once  in  seven  years,"  which,  it  appears,  is  altogether  ex- 
travagant. I  may  add  that  none  of  the  errors  referred 
to  was  essential  to  the  argimient,  and  therefore  did  not 
invalidate  its  conclusions. 

Our  Roman  Catholic  friends  have  objected,  and  quite 
justly,  that  the  Pope's  utterances  were  not  quoted  liter- 
ally. That  no  injustice  might  be  done,  it  was  my  inten- 
tion in  the  first  edition  to  take  all  statements  of  Roman 
Catholic  teaching  or  policy  from  Roman  Catholics 
themselves,  but  as  I  then  had  no  access  to  original 
sources  of  information,  I  was  obliged  to  take  quota- 
tions second-hand  from  Protestant  writers.  Six  years 
ago  there  was  very  little  agitation  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
question  and  reliable  information  was  then  much  more 
difficult  to  obtain.  The  utterances  of  the  Pope  quoted 
were  taken  from  "  Fate  of  Republics,"  in  wliich  the  prop- 
ositions of  the  "  Syllabus  of  Errors,"  issued  by  Pius  IX., 
December  8,  1864,  were  put  in  positive  instead  of  negative 
form,  which  does  to  some  extent  change  their  force  and 
perhaps  their  meaning.  Although  I  had  then  no  r(>ason 
to  doubt  the  literalness  of  the  (luotations,  I  made  re- 
peated but  unsuccessful  efforts  to  obtain  the  Latin  orig- 
inal by  which  to  verify  them. 

No  Roman  Catholic,  however,  will  have  occasion  to 
criticise  the  revision  on  any  such  groimd. 

It  having  been  decided  that  the  book  would  bear  some 
enlargement,  explanatory  notes  have  been  added  more 
freely  than  Avas  practicable  in  the  narrower  limits  of  the 


PREFACE.  5 

earlier  editions.  Some  short  passages  have  been  omitted 
to  make  room  for  new  and  more  important  matter, 
which  has  been  added  to  every  chapter  but  one.  A 
chapter  on  Peril  to  the  Public  Schools  has  been  added, 
the  greater  part  of  which  was  read  before  the  seventh 
triennial  session  of  the  National  Council  of  Congrega- 
tional Churches  at  Worcester,  Mass. ,  October  14,  1889. 
The  chapter  on  Romanism  is  almost  entirely  new  and 
much  enlarged. 

The  map  and  most  of  the  diagrams  which  appear  in 
this  revision  are  from  "  Leaves  from  '  Our  Country,' " 
illustrated  by  Rev.  C.  C.  Otis,  of  Springfield,  111.,  pub- 
lished by  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  in  1888, 
to  which  society  I  am  indebted  for  their  use.  I  desire 
also  to  express  my  thanks  to  the  many  gentlemen, 
too  numerous  to  name,  who  have  kindly  aided  me 
with  courteous  answers  to  my  inquiries  for  informa- 
tion. 

The  outlook  is  distinctly  brighter  than  it  was  a  half 
dozen  years  ago,  not  because  there  are  fewer  perils  to 
face,  nor,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  because  they  are 
any  less  threatening,  but  because  the  public  mind  is 
being  aroused  to  some  appreciation  of  them,  and  the 
Christian  Church  is  beginning  to  awake  to  the  magnitude 
of  her  opportunity  and  obligation.  The  awakening  how- 
ever, is  only  a  beginning,  and  leaves  very  much  to  be  de- 
sired. 

The  difference  in  the  situation  to-day  and  five  years 
ago  is  not  such  as  to  warrant  the  slightest  relaxation  of 
effort,  but  should  rather  stimulate  endeavor  with  new 
courage. 

This  work  is  an  attempt  to  present  some  of  the  perils 
Avhich  threaten  our  future,  and  to  point  out  the  magni- 
tude of  the  issues  which  hang  on  the  present.  I  have  in 
preparation  a  work  which  is  moi-e  constructive  in  char- 
acter, and  which  will  endeavor  to  show  what  action  is  de- 
manded by  existing  conditions.  This  book  is  for  the 
most  part,  a  diagnosis ;  the  forthcoming  one  will  venture 
to  suggest  some  remedies.  Josiah  STRON(i. 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction.    P.  11. 

CHAPTER    I. 

THE  TIME   FACTOR   IN   THE    PROBLEM. 

The  closin*;-  years  of  the  nineteenth  century  are  one  of  the 
great  focal  points  in  history.  It  is  proposed  to  show  that  the 
progress  of  Christ's  kingdom  in  the  world  for  centuries  to 
conie  depends  on  the  next  few  years  in  the  United  States.  I*.  15 

CHAPTER  II. 

NATIONAL  RESOURCES. 

Vastness  of  our  domain,  compared  with  Europe  and  China. 
Our  agricultural  resources  equal  to  sustaining  1,000,000,000 
inhabitants.  Mineral  wealth:  mineral  product  greater  already 
than  that  of  any  other  country.  Manufactures,  present  and 
prospective:  led  Great  Britain,  in  1880,  by  $650,000,000.  Our 
threefold  advantage.  United  States  to  become  the  workshop 
of  the  world.  With  all  our  resources  fully  developed  can  not 
only  feed,  but  enrich  1,000,000,000.     P.  21. 

CHAPTER  III. 

WESTERN  SUPREMACY. 

Extent  of  Western  States  and  Territories.  Nearly  two  and 
one-half  times  as  much  land  west  of  the  Mississippi  as  east  of 
it,  not  including  Alaska.  The  "  Oreat  American  Desert." 
.\iiiountof  arable,  grazing,  timber,  and  useless  lands.     Min- 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

eral  resources  of  the  West,  With  more  tlian  twice  the  room 
and  resources  of  tlie  East,  the  West  will  have  probably  twice 
the  population  and  wealth  of  the  East.     P.  2!). 

CHAPTER  lY. 

PKRII.S. — IMMIGRATION. 

Controlliufj  causes  threefold.  1.  Attracting  influences  in 
the  United  .States;  prospect  of  proprietorsliip  in  the  soil;  this 
is  the  land  of  plenty;  free  schools.  2.  Expellant  influences  of 
Europe:  prospect  not  pacific;  France,  Germany,  Austria,  Italy, 
Russia,  Great  Britain;  military  duty;  the  "blood  tax";  popu- 
lation becomin<f  more  crowded.  3.  Facilities  of  travel;  labor- 
saving  machinery.  All  co-operate  to  increase  immigration. 
Foreign  population  in  1S'.»0.  Moral  and  political  influence  of 
immigration.     Influence  upon  the  West.     P.  44. 

CHAPTER  V. 

PERILS.— UOMAXISM. 

I.  Conflict  of  Romanism  with  the  fundamental  principles  of 
our  government  ;  popular  sovereignty  ;  liberty  of  conscience  ; 
free  speech,  and  a  free  press  ;  separation  of  Church  and  State; 
free  schools  ;  loyalty  to  the  Constitution  and  loyalty  to  the 
Po])e.  II.  Attitude  toward  our  free  institutions.  III.  Impos- 
sible to"  mnke  .\merica  Catholic  "  witlumt  bringing  the  princi- 
ples of  that  church  into  active  conflict  with  those  of  our 
government.  IV.  The  course  of  moderate  Romanists  in  such 
an  issue.  V.  Rapid  growth  of  Romanism  in  the  United 
States,  especially  in  the  West.     P.  G2. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PERILS. — RKUOION  ANT)  "rtlE  Pt'nLIC  SCHOOLS. 

Two  theories  which  threaten  the  schools.  I.  That  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  hierarchy  ;  II.  That  of  the  Secularists.  The 
State  must  provide  for  its  own  i)resfrvation.  Po]tular 
morality  essential  to  popular  government.  Certain  funda- 
mental religious  truths  essential  to  successful  training  in 
morality.  Tho.se  trutlis  should  be  taught  in  the  public 
schools."     P.  '.t2. 


CONTENTS.  Jx 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PERILS. — MOKMONISM. 

Polygamy  not  an  essential  part  of  Mormonism  ;  might  be 
destroyed  without  weakening  the  system.  Strength  lies  in 
ecclesiastical  despotism.  Monnon  designs.  The  remedy 
Important  decisions  of  the  supreme  court.     P.  ill. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PERILS.— INTEMPERANCE. 

I.  The  progress  of  civilization  renders  men  the  easier 
vic^ms  ot  intemperance.  Civilization  must  destroy  the  liquor 
traffic,  or  be  destroyed  by  it.  The  problem  serious  enough  in 
the  East.  What  of  the  West,  where  tlie  relative  power  of  the 
saloon  IS  two-and-one-half  times  greater  ? 

11  The  liquor  power;  wealth;  organization;  aims  • 
methods.     Influence  in  Rocky  Mountains  and  beyond.     P  121' 


CHAPTER  IX.     , 

PERILS.— SOCIALISM. 


The  Socialistic  Labor  Party  and  the  International  Work- 
ng-men's  Association.      Teachings.      Numbers.      Conditions 

^ti::s^^s- r  ^ri^^  --"-^^  -o^^e^r  t;: 


CHAPTER  X. 

PERILS.— W^EALTH. 

Comparative  statement  of  wealth.     Rate  of  increase      Ad 

1  ahsm  ,    .3.    Luxunousness  :    4.    Congestion    of   wealth      All 
these  dangers  greater  at  the  West  than  at  the  East.     P.    'ic/ 


X  CO  XT  R  NTS. 

cnAi'TKi;  XI. 

I»KJUI.S.  — IIIK  <n  V. 

Disproportioiuite  growth  of  the  city.  K;iili  of  the  preced- 
ing perils,  except  Mormonism,  enhanced  in  the  city,  and  all 
concentered  there.  Moral  and  reli<,Mous  inlinence  and  crovern- 
nient  all  weakest  in  the  city,  where  they  need  to  be  strongest. 
The  West  pecnliarly  threatened.     P.  ITU. 

CHAPTEK  XII. 

TIIK   IXFLUKNCE   OF   KAJILY    8KTTI.KKS. 

First  ])ermanent  settlers  impress  their  char:i<lcr  on  futnre 
generations.  Illustrations.  Character  of  the  forniutivc  inliii- 
ences  in  the  West.     P.  lU.j. 

CIlAPTKi;  XIII. 

TllK   KXIIAr.STlOX   OF   THK   I'lllMC    LANDS. 

Meaning  of  cheap  public  lands,  and  signilicance  of  their 
occui)atit>n.  Their  extent.  Exhausted  in  lifteen  or  twenty 
years.  The  character  of  the  West  and,  hence,  the  future  of 
the  nation  to  be  determined  by  IJHKt.     P.  203. 

CHAPTEK  XIV. 

THK    AXOI.O-SAXON    AM)  Till-:   Woltl.D's   FrTiiti;. 

Reasons  wliy  tlie  world's  future  is  to  be  shaped  by  the 
Anglo-Saxon.  The  United  States  to  be  the  seat  of  his  jxiwer. 
The  most  marked  characteristics  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  are 
here  Iieing  emphasized,  and  the  race  schooled  for  th«'  c<mj|)eti- 
•  i'ln  with  other  races,  which  will  begin  as  soon  as  (he  jiressure 
of  )iopulation  on  the  means  of  sujtport  is  felt  in  (he  rnitcd 
States.  The  result  of  tliat  compilitioii.  I'he  responsiiiilit.v  ot 
this  generation.     1'.  \H)<^. 

CHAPTKi:   XV. 

MONF.V    AM»   IMK    KI.N(il«)M. 

For  :iii  iinp;ir:illeled  opportunity  (Jod  has  conferred  on  this 
ucncralioii  the  power  of  nnpre<-edente«l  wealth.  It  is  for  the 
Clmn  b  lonM-o.'iii/.c  the  nlatioiis  of  tin- one  lotlicodier.     P.  L".'S 


INTRODUCTION. 


Tjiis  is  a  powerful  l)Ook.  It  needs  no  introduction  from 
other  sources  than  its  own.  Its  great  strength  lies  in  its  facts. 
These  are  collated  with  rare  skill,  and  verified  by  the  testi- 
mony of  men  and  of  documents  whose  witness  is  authority. 
The  book  will  speak  for  itself  to  every  man  who  cares  enough 
for  the  welfare  of  our  country  to  read  it,  and  who  has  intelli- 
gence enough  to  take  in  its  portentous  story. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  almost  all  the  thinking  which 
thinking  men  have  given  to  the  subject  for  the  last  fifty  years 
has  been  in  the  line  of  the  leading  idea  which  this  volume 
enforces — the  idea  of  crisis  in  the  destiny  of  this  country,  and 
through  it  in  the  destiny  of  the  world.  The  common  sense  of 
men  puts  into  homely  phrase  the  great  principles  which  under- 
lie great  enterprises.  One  such  phrase  lies  under  the  Chris- 
tian civilization  of  our  land.  It  is  "the  nick  of  time."  The 
present  hour  is,  and  always  has  been,  "  the  nick  of  time"  in 
our  history.  The  principle  which  underlies  all  probationary 
experience  comes  to  view  in  organized  society  with  more 
stupendous  import  than  in  individual  destiny.  This  book  puts 
the  evidence  of  that  in  a  form  of  cumulative  force  which  is 
overwhelming. 

Fifty  years  ago  our  watchful  fatbers  discerned  it  in  their 
forecast  of  the  future  of  the  Kepublic.  The  wisest  among 
them  even  then  began  to  doubt  how  long  tlie  original  stock  of 
American  society  could  bear  the  interfusion  of  elements  alien 
to  our  history  and  to  the  faith  of  out  ancestry.  The  convic- 
tion was  then  often  expressed  that  the  case  was  hopeless  on 
any  theory  of  our  national  growth  which  did  not  take  into 
account  the  eternal  decrees  of  God.  Good  men  were  hopeful, 
only  because  they  had  faith  in  the  reserves  of  might  which 
God  held  secret  from  human  view. 

Those  now  living  who  were  in  their  boyhood  then,  remem- 
ber well  how  such  men  as  Dr.  Lyman    Beecher,  of  Ohio,  and 


12  INTllODUCTION. 

Dr.  Wm.  Blackburn,  of  Missouri,  used  to  return  from  their 
conflicts  with  the  multiform  varieties  of  Western  infidelity  to 
thrill  the  hearts  of  Christian  assemblies  at  the  East  -with  their 
pictures  of  Western  greatness,  and  Western  perils.  Those 
were  the  palm  ydays  of  "May  Anniversaries.''  The  ideas 
which  the  veterans  of  the  platform  set  on  fire  and  left  to  burn 
in  our  souls  were  three:  The  magnitude  of  the  West  in 
geographical  area  ;  the  rapidity  with  which  it  was  filling  up 
with  social  elements,  many  of  them  hostile  to  each  other, 
but  nearly  all  conspiring  against  Christian  institutions  ;  and 
the  certainty  that  Christianity  mvist  go  down  in  the  stiuggle, 
if  Eastern  enterprise  was  not  prompt  in  seizing  upon  the  then 
present  opportunity,  and  resolute  in  preoccupying  the  land  for 
Christ.  Again  and  again  Dr.  Beecher  said,  in  substance,  on 
Eastern  platforms:  "Now  is  the  nick  of  time.  In  matters 
which  reach  into  eternity,  now  is  always  the  nick  of  time. 
One  man  now  is  worth  a  hundred  fifty  years  hence.  One 
dollar  now  is  worth  a  thousand  then.  Let  us  be  up  and  doing 
before  it  is  too  late." 

From  that  time  to  this  the  strain  of  appeal  has  been  the 
same,  but  with  accumulating  volume  and  solemnity  of  warn- 
ing. The  fate  of  our  coiuitry  has  been  in  what  Edmund 
Burke  describes  as  "  a  perilous  and  dancing  balance."  Human 
wisdom  could  at  no  time^  foresee  which  way  the  scales  would 
turn.  Every  day  has  been  a  day  of  crisis.  Every  hour  has 
been  an  hour  of  splendid  destiny.  Every  minute  has  been 
"  the  nick  of  time."  And  this  is  the  lesson  which  this  volume 
emphasizes  by  an  accumulated  array  of  facts  and  testimonies 
and  corollaries  from  them,  the  force  of  which  can  scarcely  be 
overstated.  Fifty  years  of  most  eventful  history  have  been 
piling  up  the  proofs  of  our  national  peril,  till  now  they  come 
down  upon  us  with  the  weight  of  an  avalanche.  Such  is  the 
impression  which  the  argument  here  elaborated  will  make 
upon  one  who  comes  to  it  as  a  novelty,  or  in  whose  mind  the 
facts  have  become  dim. 

One  is  reminded  by  it  of  the  judgment  which  has  been 
exi)ressed  by  almost  all  the  great  generals  of  the  world,  from 
.Julius  Caisar  to  General  Grant,  that  in  every  decisive  battle 
there  is  a  moment  of  crisis  on  which  the  fortunes  of  the  day 
turn.  The  commander  who  seizes  and  holds  th;it  ridyc  of  des- 
tiny wins  the  vi(;tory.  The  conflict  for  the  world's  salvation 
partakes  of  the  same  charactor.  And  the  facts  and  their 
corollaries  massed  together  in  this  book  show  that  nowhere  is 
it  more  portentously  true  than  in  this  country.  Our  whole 
history  is    a  succession    of    crises.     Our  national    salvation 


IxXTIlODUCTIOX.  13 

(leniaiids  in  sui>ri'me  exercise  certain  military  virtues.  Vigi- 
lance in  watching  opportunity;  tact  and  daring  in  seizing  upon 
opportunity  ;  force  and  persistence  in  crowding  o])portunity 
to  its  utmost  of  possible  achievement — these  are  the  martial 
virtues  which  must  command  success. 

This  volume  presents,  also,  with  a  power  which  can  scarcely 
be  exceeded — for  it  is  the  power  of  the  simi)le  facts— the  truth 
that  Christian  enterprise  for  the  moral  conquest  of  this  land 
needs  to  he  conducted  with  the  self-abandonnieiit  which  deter- 
mined men  would  throw  into  the  critical  moment  in  the  criti- 
cal battle  of  the  critical  campaign  for  a  nation's  endangered 
life.  What  the  campaign  in  Pennsylvania  was  to  the  Civil 
War,  what  the  Itattle  of  Gettysburg  was  to  that  campaign, 
what  the  fight  for  Cemetery  Hill  was  to  that  battle,  such  is 
the  present  opportunity  to  the  Christian  civilization  of  this 
country. 

Turn  whichever  way  we  will— South,  West,  North,  East — we 
are  confronted  by  the  same  element  of  crisis  in  the  outlook 
upon  the  future.  Everything  seems,  to  human  view,  to  depend 
on  present  and  dissolving  chances.  Whatever  can  be  done  at 
all  must  be  done  with  speed.  The  building  of  great  states  de- 
pends on  one  decade.  The  nationalizing  of  alien  races  must  be 
the  work  of  a  period  which,  in  a  nation's  life,  is  but  an  hour. 
The  elements  we  work  upon  and  the  elements  we  must  work 
with  are  fast  precipitating  themselves  in  li.xed  institutions  and 
consolidated  character.  Nothing  will  await  our  convenience. 
Nothing  is  indulgent  to  a  dilatory  policy.  Nothing  is  tolerant 
of  a  somnolent  enterprise. 

The  climax  of  the  argument  appears  in  the  view  taken  of 
the  auxiliary  relation  of  this  country's  evangelizing  to  the 
evangelizing  of  the  world.  One  who  studies  even  cursorily 
the  beginnings  of  Christianity  will  not  fail  to  detect  a  masterly 
strateyy  in  apostolic  policy.  Christian  enterprise  at  the  out- 
set took  possession  first  of  strategic  localities,  to  be  used  as 
the  centers  of  church-extension.  The  first  successes  of  Chris- 
tian preachers  were  in  the  great  cities  of  the  East.  The  attract- 
ive spots,  to  the  divine  eye,  wei'e  those  which  were  crowded 
with  the  densest  masses  of  human  being.  Not  a  trace  do  we 
find  of  labor  thrown  off  at  random  in  the  apostolic  tactics. 
As  little  do  we  discover  of  the  spirit  of  romance.  The  early 
missions  were  not  crusades  for  the  conquest  of  holy  places. 
They  were  not  pilgrimages  to  sacred  shrines.  Martial  ardor 
in  the  work  was  held  well  in  hand  by  martial  skill  in  the 
choice  of  methods  and  localities. 

The  same  military  forecast  has  ruled   Christian  missions 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

from  that  day  to  this,  so  far  as  they  have  been  crowned  with 
.<;reat  successes.  How  Uttle  of  work  and  expenditure  at  liap- 
hazard  has  entered  into  the  si)lcndid  structure  of  English  and 
American  missions  to  the  heathen  !  How  little  has  the  spirit 
of  romance  or  of  lesthetic  taste  ever  accomplislied  in  evau.<;el- 
izin<>-  the  nations  !  Tlie  two  localities  to  which  the  romance 
of  Christian  enterprise  would  naturally  turn  are  Palestine  and 
CJreece  ;  the  one  as  the  home  of  our  Lord,  the  other  as  the 
birthplace  of  art  and  culture.  Yet  how  little,  comparatively 
speaking,  have  Christian  missions  achieved  in  either  land  ! 
Labor  has  been  as  faithful,  and  self-sacritice  as  generous  there 
as  elsewhere  ;  but  in  the  comparison  with  other  missions, 
where  are  the  fruits  ? 

Success  in  the  work  of  the  world's  conversion  has,  with 
rare  exceptions,  followed  the  lines  of  human  growth  and  pro- 
spective greatness.  But  a  single  exception  occurs  to  one's 
memory— that  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  Seldom  has  a  nation 
been  converted  to  Christ,  only  to  die.  The  general  law  has 
been  that  Christianity  should  seat  itself  in  the  great  metropol- 
itan centers  of  population  and  of  civilized  progress.  It  has 
allied  itself  with  the  most  virile  races.  It  has  taken  possession 
of  the  most  vigorous  and  enterprising  nations.  The  colonizing 
races  and  nations  have  been  its  favorites.  It  has  abandoned 
the  dying  for  the  nascent  languages.  Its  affinities  have  always 
been  for  the  youthful,  the  forceful,  the  progressive,  the  aspir- 
ing in  human  character,  and  for  that  stock  of  mind  from 
which  such  character  springs.  By  natural  sequence,  the  local- 
ities where  those  elements  of  powerful  manhood  are,  or  are  to 
be,  in  most  vigorous  development,  have  been  the  strategic 
l»oints  of  which  our  religion  has  taken  possession  as  by  a 
masterly  military  genius. 

The  principles  of  such  a  strategic  wisdom  should  lead  us  to 
look  on  these  United  States  as  first  and  foremost  the  chosen 
seat  of  enterprise  for  the  world's  conversion.  Forecasting  the 
future  of  Christianity,  as  statesmen  forecast  the  destiny  of 
nations,  we  must  believe  that  it  will  be  what  the  future  of  this 
country  is  to  be.  As  goes  America,  so  goes  the  world,  in  all 
that  is  vital  to  its  moral  welfare.  In  this  view,  this  volume 
finds  the  superlative  corollary  of  its  argument. 

Austin  Piiklps. 


OUR  COUNTRY, 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE  TIME  FACTOR  IN  THE  PROBLEM. 

There  are  certain  great  focal  points  of  history  toward 
which  the  hnes  of  past  progress  have  converged,  and 
from  which  have  radiated  the  molding  influences  of  the 
future.  Such  was  the  Incarnation,  such  was  the  German 
Reformation  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  such  are  the 
closi)i(j  years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  second  in  impor- 
tance to  that  only  which  nmst  always  remain  first;  viz., 
the  birth  of  Christ. 

Many  are  not  aware  that  we  are  living  in  extraordinary 
times.  Few  suppose  that  these  years  of  peaceful  pros- 
perity, in  which  we  are  quietly  developing  a  continent, 
are  the  pivot  on  which  is  turning  the  nation's  future. 
And  fewer  still  imagine  that  the  destinies  of  mankind, 
for  centuries  to  come,  can  be  seriously  affected,  much  less 
determined,  by  the  men  of  this  generation  in  the  United 
States.  But  no  generation  appreciates  its  OAvn  place  in 
history.  Several  years  ago  Professor  Austin  Phelps 
said:  "  Five  hundred  years  of  time  in  the  process  of  the 
world's  salvation  may  depend  on  the  next  twenty  years 
of  United  States  historj^."  It  is  proposed  in  the  follow- 
ing pages  to  show  that  such  dependence  of  the  world's 
future  on  this  generation  in  America  is  not  only  credible, 
but  in  the  highest  degree  probable. 

To  attribute  such  importance  to  the  present  hour  may 


16  THE    TI.MH    FACTOR   IN    TJIK    PliOIJLEM. 

strike  one  who  has  given  little  or  no  study  to  the  subject 
as  quite  extravagant.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  a  great  bat- 
tle may  in  a  day  prove  decisive  of  a  nation's  future.  A 
pohtical  revolution  or  a  diplomatic  act  in  some  great  cri- 
sis may  cut  the  thread  of  destiny ;  but  how  is  it  possible 
that  a  few  years  of  national  growth,  in  time  of  peace, 
may  be  thus  fateful?  Great  civilizations  have  been  the 
product  of  ages.  Their  character  is  slowly  developed, 
and  changes  therein  are  slowly  Avrought.  What  are 
twenty  years  in  a  nation's  growth,  that  they  should  be 
so  big  with  destiny  ? 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  pulse  and  the  pace  of 
the  world  have  been  marvelously  quickened  during  the 
nineteenth  century.  Much  as  we  boast  its  achievements, 
not  every  one  appreciates  how  large  a  proportion  of  the 
world's  progress  in  civilization  has  been  made  since  the 
application  of  steam  to  travel,  commerce,  manufactures', 
and  printing.  At  the  beginning  of  this  century  there 
was  very  little  travel.  Men  lived  in  isolated  communi- 
ties. Mutually  ignorant,  they  naturally  were  mu- 
tually suspicious.  In  English  villages  a  stranger  was  an 
enemy.  Under  such  conditions  thei-e  could  be  little  ex- 
change of  ideas  and  less  of  commodities.  Buxton  says : 
"  Intercourse  is  the  soul  of  progress."  The  impetus  given 
to  interconmmnication  of  every  sort  by  the  application 
of  steam  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  life  in  the  world. 
Crompton's  spinning  mule  was  invented  in  1775 ;  Cart- 
wright's  power-loom  in  1787 ;  and  Whitney's  cotton-gin 
in  1793 ;  but  they  did  not  come  into  common  use  until 
the  nineteenth  century.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  there  were  in  use  in  English  and  American 
homes  the  same  primitive  means  by  which  the  world's 
wool  and  flax  had  been  reduced  to  yarn  for  thousands 
of  years ;  the  same  rude  contrivance  used  in  ancient  My- 
cenae and  Troy  by  Homer's  heroines.  There  are  men 
alive  to-day,  whose  mothers,  like  Solomon's  virtuous 
woman,  laid  their  hands  to  the  spindle  and  distaff,  and 
knew  no  other  way.  William  Fairbairn,  an  eminent 
mechanic,  states  that  "  in  the  beginning  of  the  century 


THE  TIME  FACTOR  IN  THE  PROBLEM.       17 

the  human  hand  performed  all  the  work  that  was  done, 
and  performed  it  badly."  Methods  of  travel  and  com- 
munication were  as  primitive  as  those  of  manufacture. 
"  Toward  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  Lord  Camp- 
bell accompHshed  the  journey  from  Edinburgh  to  Lon- 
don in  three  days  and  three  nights.  But  judicious  friends 
warned  liim  of  the  dangers  of  this  enterprise,  and  told 
him  that  several  persons  who  had  been  so  rash  as  to  at- 
tempt it  had  actually  died  from  the  mere  rapidity  of  the 
motion.^  "  In  August,  1888,  the  same  journey  was  made 
by  the  Great  Northern  route  (392  miles)  in  seven  hours 
and  thirty-two  minutes.  And  that  year  the  railways  of 
Great  Britain  conveyed  upwards  of  742,000,000  passen- 
gers. ^  It  took  Dr.  Atkinson  eight  months  to  go  from 
New  England  to  Oregon  in  1847.  When  he  returned  the 
journey  occupied  six  days.  When  the  battle  of  Water- 
loo was  fought  (1815)  all  haste  delivered  the  thrilling  dis- 
patches in  London  three  days  later.  The  news  of  the 
bombardment  of  Alexandria  (1882)  was  received  in  the 
English  capital  a  few  minutes  after  the  first  shell  was 
thrown. 

Any  one  as  old  as  the  nineteenth  century  has  seen  a 
very  large  proportion  of  all  the  progress  in  civilization 
made  by  the  race.  When  seven  years  old  he  might  have 
seen  Fulton's  steamboat  on  her  trial  trip  up  the  Hudson. 
Until  twenty  years  of  age  he  could  not  have  found  in  all 
the  world  an  iron  plow.  At  thirty  he  might  have  trav- 
eled on  the  first  railway  passenger  train.  In  1889  the 
world  had  359.071  miles  of  railway.^  For  the  first  thirty- 
three  years  of  his  life  he  had  to  rely  on  the  tinder-box 
for  fire.  He  was  thirty-eight  when  steam  communica- 
tion between  Europe  and  America  was  established.  He 
had  arrived  at  middle  life  (forty -four)  when  the  first  tele- 
gram was  sent.  Forty-three  years  later  the  world  had 
780,433  miles  of  telegraph  lines,  and  the  number  of  mes- 


'  Mackenzie's  History  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 
'  The  Statesman's  Year-Book,  1890. 
3  The  World  Almanac,  1800. 


18       THE  TIME  FACTOR  IX  THE  TRORLEM. 

sages  annually  transmitted  is  estimated  at  300,000,000.^ 
(Jur  century  has  been  distinguished  by  a  rising  flood  of 
inventions.  The  English  government  issued  more  pat- 
ents during  the  twenty  years  succeeding  1850  than  dur- 
ing the  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  preceding. 

But  this  has  not  been  simply  a  mechanical  era  of 
marvelous  material  progress.  With  the  exception  of  as- 
tronomy, modern  science,  as  we  now  know  it,  is  almost 
wholly  the  creation  of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  this 
century,  too,  have  the  glorious  fruits  of  modern  mis- 
sions all  been  gathered.  Another  evidence  of  progress 
which,  if  less  obvious  than  material  results,  is  more  con- 
clusive, is  found  in  the  great  ideas  which  haVe  become 
the  fixed  possession  of  men  within  the  past  hundred 
years.     Among  them  is  that  of  individual  liberty,  which 

'  is  radically  different  from  the  ancient  conception  of 
freedom  that  lay  at  the  foundation  of  the  Greek  and  Ro- 
man republics,  and  later,  of  the  fi-ee  cities  of  Italy. 
Theirs  Avas  a  liberty  of  class,  or  clan,  or  nation,  not  of 
the  individual;  he  existed  for  the  government.  The 
idea  that  the  government  exists  for  the  individual  is 

j^modern. 

r    From  this  idea  of  individual   lil)erty  follows  logically 

'the  abolition  of  slavery.  At  the  close  of  the  eighteenth 
century  slavery  existed  almost  everywhere — in  Russia, 
Hungary,  Prussia,  Austria,  Scotland,  in  the  British, 
French,  and  Spanish  colonies,  and  in  North  and  South 
America.  It  is  said  that  during  the  first  seven  years  of 
this  centui-y  English  ships  conveyed  across  the  Atlantic 
280,000  Africans,  one-half  of  whom  perished  amid  the 
horrors  of  the  "middle  passage,"  or  soon  after  landing. 
But  this  century  has  seen  slavery  practically  destroyed 
in  all  Christendom. 

Another  idea,  which,  like  that  of  individual  liberty, 
finds  its  root  in  the  teachings  of  Christ,  and  has  grown 
up  slowly  through  the  ages  to  blossom  in  our  own,  is 
that  of  honor  to  womanhood,  whose  fruitage  is  woman's 

«  The  World  .\lmanac,  1890. 


THE   TIME    FACTOR    IN    THE    rJlOHLEM.  19 

elevation.  Early  in  this  century  it  was  not  very  un- 
common for  an  Englishman  to  sell  his  wife  into  servi- 
tude. "A  gentleman  in  this  country,  in  1815,  having 
access  to  not  a  very  large  number  of  English  sources  of 
information,  found,  in  a  single  year,  thirty-nine  in- 
stances of  wives  exposed  to  public  sale,  like  cattle,  at 
Smithfield. "  ^  The  amazement  or  incredulity  with  which 
such  a  statement  is  received  by  this  generation  is  the 
best  comment  on  it. 

Another  striking  evidence  of  progress  is  found  in  the 
enhanced  valuation  of  human  life,  which  has  served  to 
humanize  law  and  mitigate  "man's  inhumanity  toman."  I 
At  the  beginning  of  this  century  nothing  was  cheaper 
than  human  life.  In  the  eye  of  English  law  the  life  of  a 
rabbit  was  worth  more  than  that  of  a  man ;  for  even  an 
attempt  upon  the  former  cost  the  sacrifice  of  the  latter. 
The  law  recognized  two  hundred  and  twenty-three  cap- 
ital offences.  "If  a  man  injured  Westminster  Bridge, 
he  was  hanged.  If  he  appeared  disguised  on  a  public 
road,  he  was  hanged.  If  he  cut  down  young  trees;  if  he 
shot  at  rabbits ;  if  he  stole  property  valued  at  five  shil- 
lings ;  if  he  stole  anything  at  all  from  a  bleach-field ;  if 
he  wrote  a  threatening  letter  to  extort  money;  if  he 
retiu'ned  prematurely  from  transportation — for  any  of 
these  offences  he  was  immediately  hanged."  "In  1816 
there  were  at  one  time  (in  England)  fifty-eight  persons 
under  sentence  of  death.  One  of  these  was  a  child  ten 
years  old."- 

Space  does  not  suffer  even  the  mention  of  other  noble 
ideas,  the  growth  of  Avhich  has  enriched  our  civilization 
and  elevated  man.     Our  glance  at  the  condition,  four- 


>  Dorchester's  Problem  of  Religious  Progress,  p.  219.  The  Netv  Monthly 
Magazine,  for  September,  1814,  contains  the  following:  "  Shropshire.— A 
well-looking  woman,  wife  of  John  Hall,  to  whom  slie  had  been  married 
only  one  month,  was  brought  by  him  in  a  halter,  and  sold  by  auction,  in  the 
market,  for  two  and  sixpence,  with  the  addition  of  sixpence  for  the  rope 
with  which  she  was  led.  In  this  sale  the  customary  market  fees  were 
charged— toll,  one  penny;  pitching,  three  pence." 

2  Mackenzie's  History  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 


20       THE  TIME  FACTOR  IN  THE  PROBLEM. 

score  years  ago,  of  the  most  enlightened  of  the  nations, 
hasty  as  it  has  been,  suffices  to  remind  us  of  the  amaz- 
ing changes  which  have  taken  place  within  a  few  years ; 
and  to  show  thatjTf  we  reckon  time  by  its  results,  twenty 
years  of  this  century  may  out-measure  a  millennium  of 
olden  timej 

As  the  traveler  in  Asia  follows  the  sun  westward 
around  the  world,  he  finds  life  growing  ever  more  in- 
tense and  time  more  potent. 

"  Better  fifty  years  of  Europe  than  a  cycle  of  Cathay." 

And  to  carry  the  comparison  between  the  East  and  the 
West  a  degree  further,  permit  me  to  quote  an  intelligent 
Englishman  who  is  a  competent  witness;  viz.,  Mr.  Jo- 
seph Hatton,  Avho  says :  ' '  Ten  years  in  the  history  of 
America  is  half  a  century  of  European  progress.  Ten 
years  ago  the  manufactures  of  America  were  too  insig- 
nificant for  consideration  in  the  Old  World.  To-day 
England  herself  is  successfully  rivaled  by  American 
]iroductions  in  her  own  markets."  ^  But  the  comparison 
does  not  end  here.  Ten  years  in  the  New  West  are,  in 
their  results,  fully  equal  to  half  a  century  east  of  the 
Mississippi.  There  is  there  a  tremendous  rush  of  events 
which  is  startling,  even  in  the  nineteenth  century. 
Tliat  western  world  in  its  progress  is  gathering  mo- 
mentum like  a  falling  body.  Vast  regions  have  been 
settled  before,  but  never  before  under  the  mighty  whip 
and  spur  of  electricity  and  steam.  Referring  to  the 
development  of  the  West,  the  London  Times  remarks: 
"Unquestionably,  this  is  the  most  important  fact  in 
contemporary  history.  It  is  a  new  fact;  it  cannot  be 
compared  with  any  cognate  phenomenon  in  the  past." 
And,  as  it  is  without  a  precedent,  so  it  will  nnnaiu  with 
out  a  parallel,  for  there  are  no  more  New  Worlds. 

'  To-day  in  America,  1881. 


CHAPTEK  II. 

NATIONAL  RESOURCES. 

It  is  necessary  to  the  argument  to  show  that  the 
United  States  is  capable  of  sustaining  a  vast  population. 

The  fathers  on  Massachusetts  Bay  once  decided  that 
population  was  never  likely  to  be  very  dense  west  of 
Newton  (a  suburb  of  Boston),  and  the  founders  of  Lynn, 
after  exploring  ten  or  fifteen  miles,  doubted  whether 
the  country  was  good  for  anything  farther  west  than 
that.  Until  recent  times,  only  less  inadequate  has  been 
the  popular  conception  of  the  trans-Missouri  region  and 
the  millions  destined  to  inhabit  it.  Of  late  years,  home 
missionary  writers  and  speakers  have  tried  to  astonish 
us  into  some  appreciation  of  our  national  domain.  Yet 
it  may  well  be  doubted  whether  even  he  who  has  pon- 
dered most  upon  its  magnitude  has  a  "realizing  sense" 
of  it.  Though  astonishing  comparisons  have  ceased  to 
astonish,  I  know  of  no  means  more  effective  or  more 
just  by  which  to  present  our  physical  basis  of  empire. 

What,  then,  should  we  say  of  a  republic  of  eighteen 
states,  each  as  large  as  Spain ;  or  one  of  thirty  one 
states,  each  as  large  as  Italy;  or  one  of  sixty  states, 
each  as  large  as  England  and  Wales?  What  a  confed- 
eration of  nations?  Take  five  of  the  six  first-class 
powers  of  Europe,  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  France, 
Germany,  Austria,  and  Italy ;  then  add  Spain,  Portugal, 
Switzerland,  Denmark,  and  Greece.  Let  some  gi-eater 
than  Napoleon  weld  them  into  one  mighty  empire,  and 
you  could  lay  it  all  down  in  the  United  States  west  of 
the  Hudson  River,  once,  and  again,  and  again — three 
times.  Well  may  Mr.  Gladstone  say  that  we  have  "a 
natural  base   for  the  greatest  continuous  empii-e  ever 


NATIONAL    RESOURCES.  23 

established  by  man;  '  and  well  may  the  Enghsh  premier 
add :  ' '  And  the  distinction  betAveen  continuous  empire 
and  empire  severed  and  dispersed  over  sea  is  vital. "  i 
With  the  exception  of  Alaska  our  territory  is  compact, 
and  though  so  vast,  is  unified  by  railways  and  an  un- 
equaled  system  of  rivers  and  lakes.  The  latter,  occupy- 
ing a  larger  area  than  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  are 
said  to  contain  nearly  one-half  of  all  the  fresh  water 
on  the  globe.  We  are  told  that  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  we  have  a  river-flow  of  more  than  40,000 
miles  (i.e.,  80,000  miles  of  river-bank),  counting  no 
stream  less  than  a  hundred  miles  in  length;  while  Eu- 
rope in  a  larger  space  has  but  17,000  miles.  It  is  esti- 
mated'^ that  the  Mississippi,  with  its  affluents,  affords 
35,000  miles  of  navigation.  A  steamboat  may  pass  up 
the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  3,900  miles  from  the  Gulf 
—"as  far  as  from  New  York  to  Constantinople."^ 
Thus  a  "vast  system  of  natural  canals  "  carries  our  sea- 
board into  the  very  heart  of  the  continent. 

But  what  of  the  resources  of  this  great  empire  which 
makes  so  brave  a  display  on  the  map?  Alaska  is  capa- 
ble of  producing  great  wealth,  but  not  including  this 
territory,  the  area  of  the  United  States,  according  to  the 
census  of  1880,  is  2,970,000  square  miles.  According  to 
the  smallest  estimate  I  have  ever  seen  (and  doubtless  too 
small),  we  have  1,500,000  square  miles  of  arable  land. 
China  proper,  which,  according  to'  the  latest  estimates, 
supports  a  population  of  383,000.000,*  has  an  area  of 
1,297,999  5  square  miles,  or  considerably  less  than  one- 
half  of  ours  not  including  Alaska.  The  Chinese  are 
essentially  an  agricultural  people.  This  vast  population, 
therefore,  draws  nearly  all  of  its  support  from  the  soil. 
The  mountains  of  China  occupy  an  area  of  more  than 
300,000  square  miles,  and  some  of  her  plains  are  barren. 


>  Kin  Beyond  the  Sea. 

2  Encyclopedia  Britannica. 

3  Dr.  Goodell. 

*  The  Statesman's  Year-Book, 
6  Ibid. 


34  NATIONAL   RESOURCES. 

It  would  seem,  then,  that  our  arable  lands,  taking  the 
lowest  estimate,  are  in  excess  of  those  of  China,  by  some 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  square  miles.  The  fact,  there- 
fore, that  Chinese  agriculture  feeds  hundreds  of  millions 
ought,  certainly,  to  be  suggestive  to  Americans. 

The  area  of  the  United  States,  excluding  Alaska,  is 
equal  to  that  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  Norway, 
Sweden,  Denmark,  Germany,  Austria,  Holland,  Belgium, 
France,  Spain,  Portugal,  Switzerland,  Italy,  Greece,  and 
European  Turkey,  together  with  that  of  Palestine, 
Japan  and  China  proper  (see  map).  These  countries 
have  a  population  of  nearly  or  quite  650,000,000,  and 
their  aggregate  resources  are  probably  not  equal  to  those 
of  the  United  States.  The  crops  of  1879,  after  feeding 
our  50,000,000  inhabitants  in  1880,  furnished  more  than 
283,000,000  bushels  of  grain  for  export.  The  corn,  wheat, 
oats,  barley,  rye,  buckwheat  and  potatoes — that  is,  the 
food  crops,  were  that  year  produced  on  105,097,750  acres, 
or  164,215  square  miles.  But  that  is  less  than  one-ninth 
of  the  smallest  estimate  of  our  arable  lands.  If,  there- 
fore, it  were  all  brought  under  the  plow,  it  would  feed 
450,000,000  and  afford  2,554,000,000  bushels  of  grain  for 
export.  But  this  is  not  all.  So  excellent  an  authority 
as  Mr.  Edward  Atkinson  says  that  where  we  now  sup- 
port 50.000,000  people,  "one  hundred  million  could  be 
sustained  without  increasing  the  area  of  a  single  farm, 
or  adding  one  to  their  number,  by  merely  bringing  oiu* 
product  up  to  our  average  standard  of  reasonably  good 
agricxdture;  and  then  there  might  remain  for  export 
twice  the  quantity  we  now  send  abroad  to  feed  the  hungry 
in  foreign  lands."  If  this  be  true  (and  it  will  hardly  be 
questioned  by  any  one  widely  acquainted  with  our  Avaste- 
ful  American  farming),  1,500,000  square  miles  of  culti- 
vated land— less  than  one-half  of  our  entire  area  this 
side  of  Alaska— are  capable  of  feeding  a  population  of 
900,000,000,  and  of  producing  an  excess  of  5,100,000,000 
bushels  of  grain  for  exportation;  or,  if  the  crops  were  all 
consumed  at  home,  it  would  feed  a  population  one-eighth 
larger;  viz.,  1,012,000,000.     This  corresponds  very  nearly 


NATIONAL    RESOURCES.  'Zo 

with  results  obtained  by  an  entirely  different  process 
from  data  affoi'ded  by  the  best  scientific  authority. ^  It 
need  not,  therefore,  make  a  very  severe  draught  on 
credulity  to  say  that  our  agricultural  resources,  if  fully 
developed,  would  sustain  a  thousand  million  souls. 

But  we  have  wonderful  wealth  under  the  soil  as  well 
as  in  it.  From  1870  to  1880  we  produced  $740,013,792  of 
the  precious  metals,  and  during  the  nine  succeeding 
years,  1735,377,000;  while  the  entire  product  from  1849 
to  1889,  inclusive,  was  $2,730,077,152.^  The  United  States 
now  i-aises  one-half  the  gold  and  silver  of  the  world's 
supply.  Iron  ore  is  to-day  mined  in  twenty-three  of  our 
states.  A  number  of  them  could  singly  supply  the 
world's  demand.  Our  coal  measures  are  simply  inex- 
haustible. English  coal-pits,  already  deep,  are  being 
deepened,  so  that  the  cost  of  coal-mining  in  Great 
Britain  is  presumably  increasing,  while  we  have  coal 
enough  near  the  surface  to  supply  us  for  centuries. 
When  storing  away  the  fuel  for  the  ages,  God  knew  the 
place  and  work  to  which  he  had  appointed  us,  and  gave 
to  us  twenty  times  as  much  of  this  concrete  power  as  to 
all  the  peoples  of  Europe.  Among  the  nations,  ours  is 
the  youngest— the  Benjamin— and  Benjamin-like  we 
have  received  a  five-fold  portion.  Surely  ' '  He  hath  not 
dealt  so  with  any  people."  Our  mineral  products  are  of 
unequaled  richness  and  variety.  The  remarkable  in- 
crease from  1870  to  1880 »  placed  us  at  the  head  of  the 
nations.  In  1880  our  mining  industries  exceeded  those  of 
Great  Britain  three  per  cent.,  and  were  greater  than  those 
of  all  continental  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  South  America, 
Mexico,  and  the  British  Colonies  collectively;  wliile 
in  1888,  the  total  mineral  product  of  the  United  Kingdom 

'  See  Encyclopedia  Britaunica,  Vol.  1,  p.  717. 

2  From  Official  Reports  by  the  Director  of  tlie  United  States  Blint. 

3  Mulhall. 

1870.  18H0.               7necert.se. 

Iron  ore,  tons 4,500,000  9,500.000  110  percent 

Copper        "    12,700  20,300           60 

Coal              "    33,000,000  ,V),000,n00            66        " 

Petroleum,  gallons 42,000,000  860,000,000           20-fold. 


26  NATIONAL   im:sol'Rces. 

was  8289,601,385 1  and  that  of  the  United  States  was 
$591,172,795-;  and  as  yet,  we  have  hardlj^  begun  to  de 
velop  these  resources.  Thousands  of  square  miles  of 
mineral  wealth  lie  wholly  untouched. 

Let  us  glance  at  our  manufactures,  present  and  pro- 
spective. Our  first  great  advantage  is  found  in  our 
superabounding  coal.  Our  second  lies  in  the  fact  that 
we  have  our  raw  material  at  hand.  England  must  go  at 
least  3.000  miles  for  every  cotton  boll  she  spins;  we  raise 
our  own.  And  mills  are  now  being  built  in  the  South 
which  manufacture  the  cotton  where  it  is  grown.  We 
produce  also  the  wool,  the  M^oods,  the  hides,  the  metals 
of  every  sort,  all  that  is  required  for  nearly  everj^  va- 
riety of  manufacture.  The  remaining  ad\'antage  which 
crowns  our  opportunity  is  the  quality  of  our  labor; 
American  operatives  being,  as  a  class,  the  most  ingen- 
ious and  intelligent  in  the  world.  Inventiveness  has 
come  to  be  a  national  trait.  The  United  States  Govern- 
ment issues  four  times  as  many  patents  as  the  English. 
From  the  Patent  Office  in  Washington  there  were  issued, 
during  1889,  21,518  patents.  At  the  International  Elec- 
trical Exposition  in  Paris,  a  few  years  ago,  five  gold 
medals  were  given  for  the  greatest  inventions  or  dis- 
coveries, all  of  which  came  to  the  United  States.  The 
Mechanical  World,  of  London,  says  that  the  United 
States  has  the  best  machinery  and  tools  in  the  world ; 
and  Mr.  Lourdelot,  who  was  sent  over  here  a  few  years 
since  by  the  French  Minister  of  Commerce,  saj's  that  the 
superiority  of  tools  used  here,  and  the  attention  to  de- 
tails too  often  neglected  in  Europe,  are  elements  of  dan- 
ger to  European  industries.  Herbert  Spencer  testifies 
that,  "  beyond  question,  in  respect  of  mechanical  appli- 
ances, the  Americans  ai-o  ahead  of  all  nations."  ^  Tlu; 
fact  of  superior  tools  would  alone  give  us  no  small  ad- 


"  The  statesman's  Year-Cook,  1890. 

«  The  Worl.l  Aliiiannc,  1800. 

'For  much  additional  and  weiphty  testiinojij- to  I  lie  same  point,  see  Re- 
port of  Massachusetts  Bureau  of  SUilistiis  of  Labor  for  187'J,  pp.  xiii.  and 
xiv. 


NATIONAL    RESOURCES.  27 

vantage,  but  the  possession  of  the  best  machinery  im- 
pHes  much  more;  viz.,  that  we  have  also  the  best 
mechanics  in  the  world. 

In  close  competition,  any  one  of  the  three  advantages 
enumerated  ought  to  insure  supremacy,  provided  labor 
were  as  cheap  here  as  in  Europe.  The  coincidence,  then, 
of  these  three  great  essentials  of  manufactures,  each  in 
such  signal  measure  as  to  constitute  together  a  triple  ad- 
vantage, ought  to  offset  the  difference  in  the  price  of 
labor,  and  with  favorable  legislation  ultimately  deliver 
over  to  us  the  markets  of  the  world.  Already  have  we 
won  the  first  rank  as  a  manufacturing  people,  our  prod- 
ucts in  1880  having  exceeded  even  those  of  Great  Britain 
by  $629,000,000.  So  soon  is  Mr.  Gladstone's  prophecy, 
uttered  a  few  years  ago,  finding  its  fulfillment.  Speak- 
ing of  the  United  States,  he  said:  "She  will  probably 
become  what  we  are  now,  the  head  servant  in  the  great 
household  of  the  world,  the  employer  of  all  employed, 
because  her  service  will  be  the  most  and  ablest. "  And 
it  is  interesting  to  note  not  only  our  position,  but  our 
rate  of  progress.  While  the  manufactures  of  France, 
from  1870  to  1880,  increased  $223,640,000,  those  of 
Germany  $416,240,000,  and  those  of  Great  Britain 
$561,440,000,  those  of  the  United  States  increased  $997,- 
040,000.1  Moreover,  the  marked  advantages  which  we 
now  enjoy  are  to  be  enhanced.  While  England's  coal  is 
growing  dearer,  ours  will  be  growing  cheaper,  and  the 
development  of  our  vast  resources  will  greatly  increase, 
and  hence  cheapen,  raw  materials. 

And  while  our  manufactures  are  growing,  our  markets 
are  to  be  greatly  extended.  Steam  and  electricity  have 
mightily  compressed  the  earth.  The  elbows  of  the  na- 
tions touch.  Isolation — the  mother  of  barbarism — is 
becoming  impossible.  The  mysteries  of  Africa  are  being 
laid  open,  the  pulse  of  her  commerce  is  beginning  to 
beat.     South  America  is  being  quickened,  and  the  dry 


5  Our  total  agricultural  products  for  1880  were  $2,511,000,000;  our  manufact- 
ures for  the  same  year  were  $4,297,  920,000.— Mulh all. 


28  NATIONAL    IIESOL'KCES. 

bones  of  Asia  are  moving;  the  warm  breath  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Century  is  breathing  a  Hving  soul  under  her  ribs 
of  death.  The  world  is  to  be  Christianized  and  civilized. 
There  are  about  1,000,000,000  of  the  world's  inhabitants 
who  do  not  enjoy  a  Christian  civilization.  Two  hundred 
millions  of  these  are  to  be  lifted  out  of  savagerj*.  Much 
has  been  accomplished  in  this  direction  during  the  past 
seventy-five  years,  but  much  more  will  be  done  during 
the  next  fifty.  And  what  is  the  process  of  civilizing  but 
th6  creating  of  more  and  higher  xcantsl  Commerce  fol- 
lows the  missionary.  Five  hundred  American  plows 
went  to  the  native  Christians  of  Natal  in  one  year.  Tlie 
millions  of  Africa  and  Asia  are  some  day  to  have  the 
wants  of  a  Christian  civilization.  The  beginnings  of 
life  in  India  demand  )j;l2, 000,000  worth  of  iron  manufact- 
ures, and  ^10v),00(),000  worth  of  cotton  goods  in  a  single 
year.  During  the  last  thirty  years  her  foreign  trade  has 
nearly  quadrupled.  Wliat  will  be  the  wants  of  Asia  a 
century  hence?  A  Christian  civilization  performs  the 
miracle  of  the  loaves  and  lishes,  and  feeds  its  thousands 
in  a  desert.  It  multiplies  populations.  A  thousand  civ- 
ilized men  thrive  where  a  Inmdred  savages  starved. 
What,  then,  will  be  the  population  and  what  the  wants 
of  Africa,  a  century  hence?  And  with  these  vast  conti- 
nents added  to  imv  market,  with  our  natural  advantages 
fully  realized,  what  is  to  prevent  the  United  States  from 
becoming  the  mighty  workshop  of  the  world,  and  our 
people  "the  hands  of  mankind?  " 

If  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  believe  that  our  agi-icul- 
tural  resources  alone,  when  fully  developed,  are  capable 
of  feeding  1,000,000,000,  then  surely,  with  our  agricul- 
tural and  mining  and  mamifactin-ing  industries  all  fully 
develoiK'd.  Hie  United  States  can  sustain  and  enrich  such 
a  po])ulation.  Truly  has  Matthew  Arnold  said:  "  Amer- 
ica holds  the  future." 


Wealth-producing  land  west  of  the  Mississippi,  not 
including  Alaska  or  mineral  lands,  1,830,000  square 
miles. 


Wealth-producing  land,  including  mineral  lands,  east 
of  the  Mississippi,  800,000  square  miles. 


CHAPTER  III. 

WESTERN  SUPREMACY. 

"I  NEVER  felt  as  if  I  were  out  of  doors  before !"'ex- 
elaitiied  a  New  Englander,  as  he  stepped  off  the  cars 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  for  the  first  time. 

The  West  is  characterized  by  largeness.  Mountains, 
rivers,  railways,  ranches,  herds,  crops,  business  trans- 
actions, ideas ;  even  men's  virtues  and  vices  are  cyclopean. 
All  seem  to  have  taken  a  touch  of  vastness  from  the 
mighty  horizon.  Western  stories  are  on  the  same  large 
scale,  so  large,  indeed,  that  it  often  takes  a  dozen  east 
em  men  to"  believe  one  of  them.  They  have  a  secret 
suspicion  that  even  the  best  attested  are  inflated  exag- 


30  WK.STKRX    SUPREMACY. 

gorations,  which,  pricked  by  investigation,  would  burst, 
'  leaving  behind  a  very  small  residuum  of  fact.  It  will  be 
necessary.  thereft>re,  to  glance  rapidly  at  the  resourc(;s 
of  the  West,  in  order  to  show  that  it  w^ill  eventually 
dominate  the  East.  And  by  "the  West''  I  mean  that 
portion  of  the  countr}'  lying  west  of  the  Mississippi,  not 
including  Alaska,  unless  so  specified;  for,  though  that 
territory  hjis  vast  resources  Avhich  Avill  some  day  add 
much  to  our  wealth,  the  national  destiny  is  to  be  settled 
this  side  of  Alaska. 

Of  the  twenty-two  states  and  territories  west  of  the 
Mississippi  only  three  are  as  small  as  all  New  England. 
Montana  would  stretch  from  Boston  on  the  east  to  Cleve- 
land on  the  west,  and  extend  far  enough  south  to  include 
Richmond,  Va.  Idaho,  if  laid  down  in  the  East,  would 
touch  Toronto,  Can.,  on  the  north,  and  Raleigh,  N.  C, 
on  the  south,  while  its  southern  boundary  line  is  long 
enough  to  stretch  from  Washington  City  to  Columbus. 
O. ;  and  California,  if  on  our  Atlantic  seaboard,  would 
extend  from  the  southern  line  of  Massachusetts  to  the 
lower  part  of  South  Carolina;  or,  in  Europe,  it  would  ex- 
tentl  from  London  across  France  and  well  into  8i)ain. 
New  :Mexico  is  larger  than  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland.  The  greatest  measurement  of 
Texas  is  nearly  equal  to  the  distance  from  New  Orleans 
to  Chicago,  or  from  Chicago  to  Boston.  Lay  Texas  on 
the  face  of  Europe,  and  this  giant,  with  his  head  resting 
on  the  mountains  of  Norway  (directly  east  of  the  Orkney 
Islands),  with  one  palm  covering  London,  the  other 
Warsaw,  would  stretch  himself  down  across  the  king- 
dom of  Denmark,  across  the  empires  of  Germany  and 
Austria,  across  Northern  Italy,  aniji  lave  his  feet  in  the 
Mediterranean.  The  two  Dakotas  might  be  carved 
into  a  half-dozen  kingdoms  of  Greece;  or,  if  they  were 
divided  into  twenty-six  ecpial  comities,  we  might  lay 
down  the  two  kingdoms  of  Judah  and  Israel  in  each. 

Place  the  50, ()()( 1,000  inhabitants  of  the  United  States  in 
1880  all  in  Texas,  and  the  population  would  not  be  as 
dense  as  that  of  Germany.    Put  them  in  the  D:\kot.is.  and 


WESTERN    SUPUEMACY.  31 

the  population  would  not  be  as  dense  as  that  of  England 
and  Wales.  Place  them  in  New  Mexico,  and  the  density 
of  population  would  not  be  as  great  as  that  of  Belgium. 
Those  50,000,000  might  all  have  been  comfortably  sus- 
tained in  Texas.  After  allowing,  say  50,000  square  miles 
for  "desert,"  Texas  could  have  produced  all  our  food 
crops  in  1879— grow^n,  as  we  have  seen,  on  164,215  square 
miles  of  land— could  have  raised  the  world's  supply  of 
cotton,  12,000,000  bales,  at  one  bale  to  the  acre,  on  19,000 
square  miles,  and  then  have  had  remaining,  for  a  cattle 
range,  a  territory  larger  than  the  State  of  New  York. 
Place  the  population  of  the  United  States  in  1890  all  in 
Texas,  and  it  would  not  be  as  dense  as  that  of  Italy ;  and 
if  it  were  as  crowded  as  England,  this  one  state  would 
contain  129,000,000  souls. 

Accoimting  all  of  Minnesota  and  Louisiana  west  of  the 
Mississippi,  for  convenience,  we  have,  according  to  the 
census  of  1880,  ^  2,115,135  squai-e  miles  in  the  West,  and 
854,865  in  the  East.  That  is,  for  every  acre  east  of  the 
Mississippi  we  have  nearly  two  and  a  half  west  of  it.  But 
what  of  the  "  Great  American  Desert,"  which  occupied 
so  much  space  on  the  map  a  generation  ago?  It  is 
»o??iad«'c  and  elusive;  it  recedes  before  advancing  civili- 
zation like  the  Indian  and  buffalo  which  once  roamed  it. 
There  are  extensive  regions,  which,  because  of  rocks  or 
lava-beds  or  alkali  or  altitude  or  lack  of  rain,  are  unfit 
for  the  plow ;  but  they  afford  much  of  the  finest  grazing 
country  in  the  world,  much  valuable  timber,  and  min- 
eral wealth  which  is  enormous.  Useless  land,  though 
much  in  the  aggregate,  is  far  less  than  is  commonly  sup- 
posed, and  in  comparison  with  wealth-producing  lands 
is  almost  insignificant.  The  vast  region  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  though  once  the  home  of  the  "  Great 
American  Desert,"  really  contains  very  little  useless 
land.  We  have  all  heard  of  the  "  Bad  Lands  "  of  theDa- 
kotas,  but  they  comprise  only  about  75,000  acres  out  of 


1  The  areas  of  the  states  given  in  the  Ninth  Census  have  been  recomputed 
for  the  Tenth. 


32  WI'STERN'    SUPKHMACY. 

94,528,000  in  the  two  states,  and  even  these  lands,  are  an 
excellent  stock-range.  Mr.  E.  V.  Smalley  says':  "Cat- 
tle come  out  of  the  Bad  Lands  in  the  spring  as  fat  as 
though  they  had  been  stall-fed  all  winter."  The  United 
States  Surveyor-General  says:  "The  propoi'tion  of  waste 
land  in  the  territory  (Dakota),  owing  to  the  absence  of 
swamps,  mountain  ranges,  overflowed  and  sandy  tracts, 
is  less  than  in  any  other  state  or  territory  in  tlie  Union." 
There  are  20,000  square  miles  of  "  Bad  Lands"  in  North- 
western Nebraska,  rich  in  wonderful  fossils,  but  econom- 
ically worthless.  It  is  often  said  that  the  Kansas 
lands  near  the  Colorado  border  are  alkaline ;  but  Profes- 
sor Mudge,  State  Geologist,  says  that,  in  fifteen  years  of 
exploration,  he  has  found  but  two  springs  containing 
alkalies,  and  has  never  seen  ten  acres  of  land  in  one 
place  which  has  been  injured  by  it.  There  is  perhaps  as 
little  waste  land  in  Kansas  as  in  Illinois.  The  "Staked 
Plain  "  of  Texas  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as  a  desert ;  but 
a  Texan  writer,  who  has  lived  there  for  years,  says  of  it: 
"  While  it  is  true  that  this  vast  territory  which  we  are 
describing  is  mainly  a  grazing  country,  it  is  also  true 
that  it  abounds  in  fertile  valleys  and  rich  locations  of 
large  extent,  which  are  as  well  watered  and  as  fertile  as 
any  in  the  nation."  That  portion  of  the  "Staked  Plain  " 
which  is  mountainous  is  rich  in  minerals. 

Driven  from  the  plains  east  of  the  Pocky  Mountains, 
the  "  Great  American  Desert"  seems  to  have  become  a 
fugitive  and  vagabond  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  It 
was  located  for  a  time  by  the  map  makers  in  Utah,  but 
being  perseciited  there,  it  fled  to  Arizona,  Nevada  and 
Southern  California.  I  do  not  mean  to  imply  that  there 
are  no  waste  lands  in  Utah.  Portions  of  the  territory 
are  as  worthless  as  some  of  its  people.  There  are  some 
deserts,  one  west  of  tlie  Great  Salt  Lake,  which  contains 
several  thousand  sipiare  miles;  but  the  Surveyor-Gen- 
eral of  the  Territory  says:  "  Notwitlistanding  the  opin- 
ii)n  of  many  who  deem  our    lands  'arid,  desert,   and 

'  The  Ci:ntnry  for  Ai:?i!st,  1882. 


WESTERN    SUPREMACY.  33 

worthless;  these  same  lands,  under  proper  tillage,  pro- 
duce forty  to  fifty  bushels  of  wheat,  seventy  to  eighty 
bushels  of  oats  and  barley,  from  two  hundred  to  four 
hundred  bushels  of  potatoes  to  the  acre,  and  fruits  and 
vegetables  equal  to  any  other  state  or  territory  in  quan- 
tity and  quality.'' '  There  are  vast  tracts  which  cannot 
be  irrigated,  but  even  such  lands  are  not  necessarily 
without  agricultural  value.  Arizona  has  been  consid- 
ered a  waste,  and  undoubtedly  much  land  there  is  arid 
and  irredeemable;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  much 
also  which  is  wealth-producing.  Gen.  J.  C.  Fremont, 
who,  as  Governor  of  the  Territory  for  several  years,  had 
exceptional  facilities  for  gaining  information,  in  his 
official  report  in  1878,  said:  "  So.  far  as  my  present 
knowledge  goes,  the  grazing  and  farming  lands  com- 
prehend an  a^rea  equal  to  that  of  the  State  of  New  York." 
And  a  writer  in  Harper's  Magazine  for  March,  1883, 
says:  "It  is  estimated  by  competent  authority  that,' 
with  irrigation,  thirty-seven  per  cent,  can  be  re- 
deemed for  agriculture,  and  sixty  per  cent,  for  pastur- 
age." -  Certain  it  is  that  when  the  Spaniards  first  visited 
the  territory,  in  1526,  they  found  ruins  of  cities  and  ir- 
rigating canals,  which  indicated  that  it  was  once  densely 
populated  by  a  civilized  race  which  subsisted  by  agricul- 
ture. 

There  is  more  barren  land  in  Nevada  than  in  any 
other  state  or  territory  of  the  West.  The  wealth  of  the 
state  is  not  agricultural  or  pastoral,  but  mineral.  Never- 
theless the  Surveyor-General  of  the  State  says:  "In  our 
sage-brush  lands,  alfalfa,  the  cereals,  and  all  vegetables 
flourish  in  profusion  where  water  can  be  obtained,  and 
the  state  is  speedily  becoming  one  of  the  great  stoc^k- 
raising  states  of  the  Union."    Below  the  Grand  Canon 


'A  resident  of  Utah  writes  me  that  he  has  never  heard  of  more  than 
twenty-eight  bushels  of  whe^t  or  forty-five  of  oats  to  the  acre. 

2  From  all  the  information  I  can  gather,  this  latter  estimate  seems  to  me 
too  large.  In  my  computation  of  the  valuable  lands  of  the  West,  page  35, 1 
have  called  26,700  square  miles  in  Arizona,  nearly  one  quarter  of  the  terri- 
tory, worthless. 


34:  WKSTKRX    S11'1{I:M.\(V. 

of  the  Coloradt*,  with  Nevada  and  Califoinia  on  the  west 
and  Arizona  on  the  east,  is  a  region  of  great  aridity. 
Here  date-pahns,  oranges,  lemons,  pomegranates,  ligs, 
sugar  and  cotton  flourish  where  water  can  be  applied, 
and  "ultimately  a  region  of  country  can  be  irrigated 
larger  than  was  ever  cultivated  along  the  Nile,  and  all 
the  products  of  Egypt  will  flourish  thei-ein."  i 

The  ai'ea  in  which  occur,  here  and  there,  most  of  the 
w^orthless  lands  of  the  West,  is  pyramidal  in  shape,  the 
base  extending  along  the  ^lexican  line  into  Texas,  and 
the  apex  being  found  in  the  northern  part  of  Idaho. 
That  is,  the  proportion  of  useless  lands  decreases  as  you 
go  north,  ^  until  it  seems  to  disappear  entirely  before 
reaching  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway.  Mr.  E.  V. 
Smalley,  who,  in  the  summer  of  1882,  traveled  the  line 
of  that  road  before  its  completion,  writes-:  ^  "The  whole 
country  traversed  through  the  northern  tier  of  terri- 
tories, from  Eastern  Dakota  to  Washington,  is  a  habit- 
able region.  For  the  entire  distance  every  square  mile 
of  the  country  is  valuable  either  for  farming,  stock-rais- 
ing, or  timber-cutting.  There  is  absolutely  no  waste  land 
between  the  well-settled  region  of  Dakota  and  the  new 
wheat  region  of  Washington  Territory.  Even  on  the 
tops  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  there  is  good  pasturage; 
and  the  vast  timber  belt  enveloping  Clark's  Foi'k  and 
Lake  Pend  d'Oreille,  and  the  ranges  of  the  Cabinet  and 
C(eur  d'Alene  ]\Iountains  is  more  valuable  than  an 
equal  extent  of  arable  land." 

Much  of  the  Rocky  ^lountain  region  is  still  unsui-- 
veyed.  In  the  absence  of  exact  knowledge,  therefore, 
we  must  rely  on  the  estimates  of  Surveyor-Generals, 
Ciovernors,  and  others  who  have  had  opportunities  to 
form  intelligent  opinions  concerning  the  available  lands 
of  the  West.  In  some  cases  official  reports  of  surveys 
have  afforded  accurate  information;  but  in  most  it  has 


•J.  W.  I'dwi'll,  Director  of  the  U.  S.  Geologico   Survey,  in  Tlic  Cenlurif 
for  Man-li,  istx). 
»  The  Century  Magazine  for  OcIoImt,  ISW. 


WKSTEJIN    yUPKK.MAf'Y.  35 

been  necessary  to  rely  on  estimates  which  p^-etend  to  be 
only  approximately  coi-rect.  I  believe  they  are  temper- 
ate. According  to  these  estimates,  the  region  west  of 
the  Mississippi  embraces  785,000  square  miles  of  arable 
lands,  G45,000  of  grazing  lands,  400,000  of  timber  lands, 
and  285,000  squai-e  miles  Avhich  are  useless,  except  so 
far  as  they  are  mineral  lands.  In  weighing  these  figures 
several  considerations  should  be  borne  in  mind. 

1.  Generally  speaking,  those  best  acquainted  with  the 
West  make  the  largest  estimates  of  its  resources  and 
have  the  most  faith  in  its  future. 

2.  Land  often  appears  worthless  which  experiment 
proves  to  be  fertile.  For  instance,  the  "Great  Columbia 
Plains  "  of  Eastern  Washington.  The  soil,  which  varies 
from  one  foot  to  twenty  feet  in  depth,  is,  except  in  the 
bottom  lands,  a  very  light-colored  loam,  containing  an 
unusually  large  percentage  of  alkalies  and  fixed  acids. 
A  few  years  ago,  sowing  wheat  on  that  soil  would  have 
been  deemed  throwing  it  away;  but  the  experiment 
resulted  in  a  revelation;  viz.,  that  these  14,000,000  acres 
of  peculiar  soil  are  probably  the  best  wheat  fields  in  all 
the  world.  Other  illustrations  equally  striking  might  be 
given.  Rev.  A.  Blanchard,  who  is  well  acquainted  with 
East  Wyoming  and  Colorado,  writes:  "  Nothing  is  more 
surprising  than  the  material  for  supporting  a  population 
which  continues  to  be  developed  in  all  this  region  of 
mountain  and  plain,  which,  twenty  years  ago,  was  con- 
sidered an  inhospitable  desert,  capable  of  supporting 
nothing  but  Indians." 

3.  Barren  lands  are  often  rendered  fruitful.  Fre- 
quently all  that  a  sterile  soil  needs  is  treatment  with 
some  mineral  which  Nature  has  deposited  near  by;  and 
water  makes  most  of  our  western  deserts  blossom  as  the 
rose.  In  1882,  twelve  Artesian  wells  were  sunk  in  Tulare 
County,  California,  with  astonishing  results.  They 
were  found  to  flow  from  200,000  to  1,500,000  gallons 
daily ;  and  where  once  were  barren  plains,  the  fields 
are  a  succession  of  vineyards,  orchards,  and  wheat 
fields.     Since   then   many   of   these   wells   have  been 


36  WKSTKKN    SI  I'RKMACY. 

sunk  in  Arizona,  Xcvadii,  Nrw  INk-xiid  an<l  Colorado. 
UltiniaU'ly  niuuntain  torrents  will  be  utilized  for  irri- 
gation by  means  of  great  reservoirs  and  canals. 
Already  more  tlian  (;,U(J(),UOO  acres  luive  been  redeemed 
by  such  means  and  are  now  imder  cultivation.  Major 
J.  W.  Powell,  Directcjr  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey, 
has  been  engaged  for  more  than  twenty  years  in  investi- 
gating the  resources  of  the  West  and  has  conmianded 
the  best  facilities  for  acquiring  scientific  knowledge  of 
that  region.  This  highest  authority  says:*  "Arid  lands 
ai*e  not  lands  of  famine,  and  the  sunny  sky  is  not  a 
firmament  of  devastatif^n.  Conquered  rivei-s  are  better 
servants  than  wild  clouds.  The  valleys  and  jdains  of 
the  far  West  have  all  the  elements  of  fertility  that  soil 
can  have Abundant  water  and  abundant  sun- 
shine are  the  chief  conditions  for  vigorous  plant  growth, 
and  tliat  agriculture  is  the  most  successful  which  best 
secures  these  twin  primal  conditions;  and  they  are 
obtained  in  the  highest  degree  in  lands  Avatered  by 
streanjs  and  domed  by  clear  skies.  For  these  reasons 
the  arid  lands  are  more  productive  under  high  cultiva- 
tion than  humid  lands.  The  wheat  fields  of  the 
desert,  the  corn  fields,  the  vineyards,  the  orchards  and 
the  gardens  of  the  far  West  far  siu-pass  those  of  the 

East  in  luxuriance  and   productiveness The  arid 

lands  of  the  West  ....  are  the  best  agricultural 
lands  of  the  continent." 

The  total  area  of  arid  lands  in  the  United  States  is 
1,331,151  s(iuare  miles,  of  which  some  258,000  scjuare 
miles  aie  tindtered  lands.  Much  of  the  arid  region  is 
rich  in  min<'rals  and  nuich  of  it  afl'ords  fine  pasturage, 
while  about  1 'JO, 000,000  acres  are  capabl(>  of  being 
redeemed  for  agriculture  by  irrigation.  Major  Powell 
says,  "  It  has  been  fully  demonstrated  that  the  redenip- 
tion  of  these  lands  is  i)rofitable  to  capital  and  labor." 
When  the  waters  are  stored  in  the  mountain  lakes,  and 
the  canals  are  constructed  to  carry  them  to  the  lands 

«  The  Century  for  Morch,  1800. 


WESTERN    SUPREMACY.  37 

below,  a  system  of  powers  will  be  developed  unparalleled 
in  the  history  of  the  world.  Here,  then,  factories  can  be 
established,  and  the  rivers  be  made  to  do  the  work  of 
fertilization,  and  the  violence  of  mountain  torrents  can 
be  transformed  into  electricity  to  illumine  the  villages, 
towns,  and  cities  of  all  that  land.'" 

*It  should  be  remarked  that  the  rainfall  seems  to  be 
increasing  with  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  And  it  is 
worthy  of  note  that  what  rain  there  is  usually  falls  in 
those  months  when  it  is  most  needed,  and  that  there  is 
little  or  none  during  harvest. 

4.  The  arable  lands  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  are 
mainly  in  valleys,  which,  like  basins,  have  gathered  the 
detritus  of  the  mountains  for  ages.  The  soil  is  there- 
fore very  deep  and  strong,  yielding  much  more  than 
the  same  area  in  the  East;  and  in  the  Southwest  two 
crops  a  year  from  the  same  soil  are  very  common,  so 
that  this  land  is  equal  to  twice  or  three  times  the  same 
area  in  the  East.  ' '  Experiments  in  California,  Nevada, 
Colorado,  Utah,  Arizona  and  other  irrigating  countries, 
show  that  eighty  acres  of  irrigated  land  properly  culti- 
vated far  exceed  in  productive  capacity  160  acres 
watered  by  rainfall."^ 

5.  The  above  estimate  of  arable  lands  in  the  West  does 
not  include  the  timber  lands,  a  large  proportion  of  which 
is  of  the  finest  quality.  Of  the  400,000  square  miles  of 
timber,  45,000  are  in  Texas,  26,000  in  Arkansas,  and 
25,000  in  Minnesota.  A  large  proportion  of  the  whole  is 
in  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  a  good  deal  of  the  remain- 
der is  on  fine  soil,  so  that  it  is  reasonable  to  infer  that 
100,000  square  miles  or  more  of  this  timber  land  would 
be  arable,  if  cleared.  Moreover,  much  of  the  64.5,000 
square  miles  of  grazing  land  will  prove  to  be  arable. 
We  may,  therefore,  expect  the  ara1)le  h^suds  of  the  West 
ultimately  to  reach  900,000  square  miles,  and  perhaps 
1,000,000." 


1  Maj.  .T.  AV.  Powell  in  The  Cenlvrii  foi-  April,  1800. 
3  Senator  W.  M.  Stewart  in  The  Fornm  for  April, 'IScSO. 


38  WESTERN    SUPKEMACY. 

6.  A  considerable  portion  of  the  854,865  square  miles 
east  of  the  Mississippi  is  not  arable.  In  New  England. 
New  York  and  Pennsj-lvania,  there  are  94,500  square 
miles  of  vinimproved  lands. ^  It  is  a  fair  inference  that  in 
tlie  old  states  where  land  has  long  been  in  demand,  so 
much  would  not  remain  unimproved  unless  generally 
incaiiable  of  improvement.  Throughout  the  many 
mountain  ranges  of  the  entire  Appalachian  system,  there 
is  much  waste  land  and  more  that  is  not  arable.  In  the 
absence  of  any  exact  data  it  would  seem  from  the  facts 
just  given,  that  there  must  be  not  less  than  50,000  or 
(lO.OOO  square  miles  of  waste  land  east  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  twice  as  much  that  is  not  fit  for  the  plow.  This 
reduces  the  arable  lands  of  the  East  to  about  700,000 
square  miles  as  against  785,000  in  the  West,  with  the 
probable  eventual  addition  to  the  latter  of  one  or  two 
liundred  thousand  more.  For  every  acre  in  the  East, 
bad  as  well  as  good,  there  is  another  in  the  West  capa- 
ble of  producing  food ;  and  in  addition,  a  timber  area  of 
400,000  square  miles,  not  including  the  magnificent  tim- 
ber lands  of  Alaska,  which  William  H.  Seward  said 
would  one  day  make  that  territory  the  ship-yard  of  the 
world.  And  besides  all  tliis,  the  West  has  grazing  lands 
50,000  square  miles  broader  than  the  total  area  of  all  the 
Southern  States  east  of  the  Mississippi.  In  1880  there 
were  in  the  West,  61,211,000  head  of  livestock,  and  those 
vast  plains  are  probably  capable  of  sustaining  several 
times  that  number.  Tlie  West,  therefore,  has  1,8.S0,000 
stpiare  miles  of  useful  land  (not  including  mineral  lands) 
against  800, 000  in  the  East,  more  than  twice  as  much. 

Nor  have  we  finished  our  inventory  of  western  wealth. 
Us  mineral  resoiu'ces  are  simply  inexhaustible.  The 
precious  metals  have  been  found  in  most  of  the  states 
and  territoi-ies  of  our  Western  Empire.  From  the  dis- 
covery of  gold  to  June  30,   1881,  California  produced 


Nfw  Knpland  lias  2S,408s<iiiarc' mill's  nut  in  f;iiin>;.  Il..^()ii  iinirn|i 

Ni'w  York  "     W.MYi      -li.Odrt 

I'.-nnsylvanlii    '•     i:).!I.V,' •JI.IKXI 


WESTERN   SUPREMAOr.  39 

$1,170,000,000  of  that  metal.  The  annual  product  is  now 
from  eighteen  to  twenty-five  millions.  From  1863  to 
1880,  Idaho  produced  $90,000,000  of  gold  and  silver,  and 
Montana  from  1861  to  1879,  not  less  than  $162,000,000. 
In  twenty  years,  Nevada  produced  $448,545,000  of  the 
precious  metals.  The  production  of  Colorado,  during 
the  twenty-four  years  preceding  1883,  was  $167,000,000. 
Her  out-put  for  1882  was  $27,000,000.  In  wealth-pro- 
ducing power  a  single  rich  mine  represents  a  great 
area  of  arable  land.  For  instance,  the  Comstock  Lode, 
in  1877,  produced  $37,062,252.  Those  twelve  insignificant 
looking  holes  in  the  side  of  the  mountain  yielded  more 
wealth  that  year  than  3,890,000  acres  planted  to  corn  the 
same  year.  That  is,  those  few  square  rods  on  the  sur- 
face in  Nevada  were  as  large  as  all  the  corn  fields  of 
New  England,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Michigan, 
Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  collectively.  Rocky  Moun- 
tain wealth,  penetrating  thousands  of  feet  into  the  earth, 
compensates  for  large  areas  of  barren  surface.  The  agri- 
cultural resources  of  a  country  do  not  now  as  formerly 
determine  its  possible  population.  To-day,  easy  trans- 
portation makes  regions  populous  and  wealthy,  which 
once  were  uninhabitable.  Even  if  a  blade  of  grass  could 
not  be  made  to  grow  in  all  the  Rocky  Mountain  states, 
that  region  could  sustain  100,000,000  souls,  provided  it 
has  sufiicient  mineral  wealth  to  exchange  for  the  prod- 
uce of  the  Mississippi  valley.  Quartz  mines  have  been 
known  in  the  Rockies  for  years,  which  could  not  be 
worked  without  heavy  machinery.  The  inner  chambers 
of  God's  great  granite  safes,  where  the  silver  and  gold 
have  been  stored  for  ages  to  enrich  this  generation,  are 
fastened  with  time  locks,  set  for  the  advent  of  the  rail- 
way. The  projection  of  railway  systems  into  the 
mountains  will  rapidly  develop  these  mines.  For  the 
year  ending  May  31,  1880,  the  United  States  produced 
55  tons  724  pounds  (avoirdupois)  of  gold,  and  1,090  tons 
398  pounds  of  silver.  "These  huge  figiu-es  may  be 
better  grasped,  pei'haps,  by  considering  that  the  gold 
represents  five  ordinary  car  loads,  while  a  train  of  109 


40  WESTERN   SUPREMACY. 

frcij^ht  cars  of  the  usual  capacity  -svould  be  required  to 
transport  the  silver.  "^  The  total  out-put  of  the  precious 
metals  for  1889  was  sj;'.)?,  440,000  or  nearly  ii;:i;3,000,000  more 
than  in  1880. 

But  the  precious  metals  constitute  only  a  small  part  of 
the  mineral  wealth  of  the  West.  It  has  upwards  of  200,- 
000  squai'e  miles  of  coal  measure,  thirty-eight  times  the 
area  of  all  the  coal  fields  of  Great  Britain.  Excepting 
Minnesota,  coal  has  been  found  in  every  state  and  terri- 
tory west  of  the  Mississippi.  And  not  one  is  without 
iron.  California  has  superior  ores.  The  iron  of  Oregon 
is  equal  to  the  very  best  Swedish  and  Russian  metal. 
Wyoming  has  immense  deposits.  The  supply  of  Utah  is 
enormous.  It  is  found  in  some  form  in  every  county  of 
Missouri.  Iron  Mountain  and  Pilot  Knob  are  estimated 
to  contain  500,000,000  tons  of  the  finest  ore.  There  are 
great  masses  of  iron  in  Texas,  probably  equal  in  quantity 
and  quality  to  any  deposits  in  the  world.  Lead  is  found 
in  all  the  states  and  territories  of  the  West,  except  Min- 
nesota, Nebraska,  and  the  Indian  Territory.  In  many 
of  them  the  ores  are  rich  and  abundant.  The  lead-pro- 
ducing area  in  Missouri  is  over  5,000  square  miles.  The 
product  of  that  state  in  1877  was  over  03, 000,000  pounds. 
Nebraska  and  Kansas  alone  are  without  copper.  Kich 
ores  and  native  metal  abound  in  Avhat  seem  inexhausti- 
l)le  quantities.  Tlie  dcq^osits  of  salt  fire  without  compu- 
tation. Besides  salt  springs  and  lakes  which  yield  great 
quantities,  there  are  b(>ds  of  unknown  depth  covering 
thousan<ls  of  acres.  Sulphur  also  is  exceedingly  abun- 
dant. In  Idaho  there  is  a  moimtain  which  is  eighty-five 
per  cent,  pure  suljihur.  A  d(>posit  in  liOuisiana,  equally 
pure,  is  1 12  feet  thick.  Nevada  has  borax  enough  to  sup- 
ply mankind.  In  Wyoming  there  ;it-c  lakes  in  wliicli 
the  deposits  of  sulpliale  of  soda  are  fiDiii  ten  to  fifteen 
feet  in  thickness,  and  almost  chemically  ])in*(;.  Gypsum 
abounds.  Texas  has  the  largest  deposits  known  in  the 
world, — "enough  to  supply  the  universe  for  centuries." 


WESTERN    SUPRRMACY.  41 

The  Colorado  River  of  Texas  cuts  its  way  through  moun- 
tains of  soKd  marble.  In  many  parts  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  there  are  the  finest  building  stones,  granite, 
sandstone  and  marble,  of  all  possible  colors  and  shades, 
without  end.  It  would  be  tii^esome  simply  to  enumerate 
the  valuable  minerals  which  swell  the  undeveloped 
wealth  of  the  West. 

Her  unrivaled  resources  together  with  the  unequaled 
enterj)rise  of  her  citizens  are  a  sure'prophecy  of  superior 
wealth.  Already  have  some  of  these  young  states  out- 
stripped older  sisters  at  the  East,  as  is  seen  by  the  follow- 
ing statement  of  wealth  per  caput  accordmg  to  the  as- 
sessed valuation  of  property  in  1880 : 

InSontVi  Carolina $110  In  Kansas ,  ..$161 

"  Illinois 255  "  Minnesota 330 

"  Vermont 25'.t  "  Colorailo 331 

"New  York 538  "California 674 

From  1880  to  1890  the  assessed  valuation  of  property  in 
these  four  states  east  of  the  Mississippi  increased  twenty- 
seven  per  cent,  while  that  in  the  four  western  states  in- 
creased one  hundred  and  seven.  The  aggregate  increase 
of  the  former  was  $1,008,000,000;  that  of  the  latter, 
$1,160,000,000.1  The  West  is  destined  to  surpass  in  agricul^ 
ture,  stock-raising,  mining,  and  eventually,  in  manufact- 
ui-ing.  Already  appears  the  superiority  of  her  climate,  , 
which  Montesquieu  declares  "  is  the  most  powerful  of  all 
empires,  and  gives  guaranty  alone  of  future  develop- 
ment.'' Every  advantage  seems  to  be  hers  save  only 
greater  proximity  to  Europe,  and  if  the  East  commands 
European  commerce,  the  Golden  Gate  opens  upon  Asia, 
and  is  yet  to  receive 

"  the  wealth  of  Ormus  and  of  Ind," 

and  send  her  argosies  to  all  tlie  ports  of  the  broad  Pa- 
cific. — ] 
Beyond  a  perad venture,  the  West  is  to  dominate  the\  ' 
East.     With  moie  than  twice  the  room  and  resources  of, 
the  East,  the  West  will  have  probably  twice  the  popula- 

■  The  World  Almanac,  1S90. 


42  WESTERN   SUPREMACY. 

tion  and  wealth  "of  the  East,  together  with  the  superior 
power  and  influence  which,  under  popular  government 
accompany  them.  The  West  will  elect  the  executive 
and  control  legislation.  When  the  center  of  population 
crosses  the  Mississippi,  the  West  will  have  a  majority 
in  the  lower  House,  and  sooner  or  later  the  partition  of 
her  great  territories,  and  probably  some  of  the  states, 
will  give  to  the  West  the  control  of  the  Senate.^  When 
Texas  is  as  densely  peopled  as  New  England,  it  is  hardly 
to  be  supposed  her  millions  will  be  content  to  see  theG2,- 
000  square  miles  east  of  the  Hudson  send  twelve  senators 
to  the  seat  of  government,  while  her  territory  of  262,000 
sends  only  two.  Tlae  West  will  direct  the  policy  of  the 
Government,  and  by  virtue  of  her  prepondei-ating  popu- 
lation and  influence  will  determine  oiu-  national  charac- 
ter and,  therefore,  destiny. 

Since  prehistoric  times,  populations  have  moved  stead- 
ily westward,  as  De  Tocqueville  said,  "as  if  driven  by 
the  mighty  hand  of  God."  And  following  their  migra- 
tions, the  course  of  empire,  which  Bishop  Berkelej^  sang, 
has  westward  taken  its  way.  The  world's  scepter  passed 
from  Persia  to  Greece,  from  Greece  to  Italy,  from  Italy 
to  Great  Britain,  and  from  Great  Britain  tlie  scepter  is 
to-day  departing.  It  is  passing  on  to  "Greater  Britain," 
to  our  Mighty  West,  there  to  remain,  for  there  is  no  fur- 
ther West ;  beyond  is  the  Orient.  Like  the  star  in  the 
East  which  guided  the  three  kings  with  their  treas- 
ures westward  imtil  at  length  it  stood  still  over  the 
cradle  of  the  young  Christ,  so  tlie  star  of  empire,  rising 
in  the  East,  has  ever  beckoned  the  wealth  and  power  of 
the  nations  westward,  until  to-day  it  stands  still  over  the 


1  The  niovenuMit  of  population  and  of  power  westwanl  is  shown  by  the  ct>n- 
.siis  of  IH'.K).  If  under  tliis  i.-fiisiis  tiio  apportiouuiL-iit  for  rcpiesentatives  in 
CunRn-ss  is  mmle  so  tiuit  the  total  meuilicrsliip  of  the  House  remains  tlu' 
same  i>lus  ei^jlit  members  from  the  six  new  states,  tlie  states  east  of  tlie  Mis- 
8issi|)pi  will  lose  nine  representatives  and  those  west  of  it  will  ;;ain  nine  in 
addition  to  those  from  the  six  new  states.  That  is,  the  l<ivst  will  Im'  nine 
members  weaker  . -11111  the  West  seventeen  si rouKer. 


WESTERN    SUPREMACY.  43 

cradle  of  the  young  empire  of  the  West,  to  which  the 
nations  are  bringing  their  offerings. 

The  West  is  to-day  an  infant,  but  shall  one  day  be  a 
giant,  in  each  of  whose  limbs  shall  unite  the  strength  of 
many  nations. 


Native  I'opulatiou  of  tlie  U.  S.  in 
a-),{KK),(X)0. 


Population  Foreign  l)y  birth  or  parentage, 

15,0t)(),000. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PERILS.  — IMMIGRATION. 

[Political  optiniisin  is  one  of  the  vices  of  the  American 
people.  There  is  a  popular  faith  that  "God  takes  care 
of  cliildren,  fools,  and  the  United  States."  We  deem 
ourselves  a  chosen  people,  and  incline  to  the  helief  that 
the  Ahnip;hty  stands  pledged  to  our  prosperity.  Until 
within  a  few  y(;ars  probably  not  one  in  a  lunidred  of  our 
population  has  ever  questioned  the  seciu-ity  of  oui- 
futui-e.  Such  optimism  is  as  sen.'^eless  as  jx^ssimisiu  is 
faitld<'ss.j  The  one  is  as  foolish  as  tlu^  other  is  \vick(>(l. 
Thoughtful    men    sec  perils  on  our  national    hori/<>ii 


PERILS. — IMMIGllATIOiV.  45 

[Our  arguniont  is  concerned  not  with  all  of  them,  but 
oii^  lolth  those  ivhich  peculiarly  threaten  the  West. 

America,  as  the  land  of  promise  to  all  the  world, 
is  the  destination  of  the  most  remarkable  migration 
of  which  we  have  any  record.  During  the  last  ten 
years  we  have  suffered  a  peacefuHnvasion  by  an  army 
more  than  four  times  as  vast  as  the  estimated  number 
of  Goths  and  Vandals  that  swept  over  Southern  Europe 
and  overwhelmed  Rome.  During  the  past  hundred  years 
fifteen  million  foreigners  have  made  their  homes  in  the 
United  States,  and  three-quarters  of  them  have  come 
since  1850,  wliile  5,248,000  have  arrived  since  1880.  A 
study  of  the  causes  of  this  great  world  movement  indi- 
cates that  perhaps  as  yet  we  have  seen  only  beginnings. 
These  controlling  causes  are  threefold.  1.  The  attract- 
ing influences  of  the  United  States.  2.  The  expellent 
influences  of  the  Old  World.     3.  Facilities  for  travel. 

1.  The  attracting  influences  of  the  United  States.  We 
have  alreadj^  seen  that  for  every  one  inhabitant  in  1880 
the  land  is  capable  of  sustaining  twenty.  This  largeness 
of  room  and  opportunity  constitutes  an  urgent  invitation 
to  the  crowded  peoples  of  Europe.  The  prospect  of  pj-o- 
prietorship  in  the  soil  is  a  powerful  atti'action  to  the 
European  peasant.  In  England  only  one  person  in 
twenty  is  an  owner  of  land ;  in  Scotland,  one  in  twenty- 
fiv  e ;  in  Ireland,  one  in  seventy-nine,  and  the  great  ma- 
jority of  land-holders  in  Great  Britain  own  less  than  one 
acre  each.  More  than  three-fifths  of  the  United  King- 
dom is  in  the  hands  of  the  landlords,  who  own,  each 
one,  a  thousand  acres  or  more.^  One  man  rides  in  a 
straight  line  a  hundred  miles  on  his  own  estate.  An- 
other owns  a  county  extending  across  Scotland.  A 
gentleman  in  Scotland  a  few  years  since,  appropriated 
three  hundred  square  miles  of  land,  extending  from  sea 
to  sea,  to  a  deer  forest,  evicting  many  families  to  make 
room  for  the  deer.  "  Scotland  official  figures  show  that 
one-third  of  the  families  live  in  a  single  room,  and  more 

1  Encyclopedia  Britannica,  Vol.  VIII.  p.  223. 


46  I'KKILS. — I.MMKJUATION. 

than  another  third  in  only  two  rooms."'     What  must 
free  land  mean  to  such  a  people? 

This,  moreover,  is  the  land  of  plenty.  Tiie  following 
table,-  giving  the  average  amount  of  food  annually  con- 
sumed per  inhabitant,  shows  how  much  better  the  peo- 
ple of  the  United  States  are  fed  than  any  people  of 
Europe.  All  kinds  of  grain  are  included,  as  what  is  fed 
to  cattle  serves  ultimately  to  produce  food  for  the  popu- 
lation. Potatoes  are  estimated  as  grain,  at  the  rate  of 
four  bushels  to  one  of  wheat. 

Grain,  Meat,  .   Grain,  Meat, 

biishels.  pounds.  buslicls.  pounds. 

France ai.02  81.88    Austria 13..5r  5G.03 

Germany 23.71  84.51    Sweden  and  Norway Vi.Oo  51.10 

Belgium 22.84  57.10    Italy 9.62  20.80 

Great  Britain 20.02  119.10 

Russia 17.97  54.05    Europe 17.66  57.50 

Spain 17.68  25.04    United  States 40.66  120.00 

John  Eae  says  that  in  Prussia,  nearly  one-half  of  the 
population  have  to  live  on  an  annual  income  of  $105  to 
a  family.  Is  it  strange  that  they  look  longingly  toward 
the  United  States? 

^Immigration  rises  and  falls  Avith  our  prosperity.  A 
financial  crisis  here  operates  at  once  as  a  check,  but 
numbers  increase  again  with  the  revival  of  business. 
We  shall  have,  as  heretofore,  an  occasional  crash,  fol- 
lowed by  commercial  depression,  but  it  can  hardly  be 
questioned  that  the  development  of  our  wonderful  re- 
sources will  insure  a  high  degree  of  material  prosperity 
for  many  years  to  come.  And  the  brightening  blaze  of 
our  riches  will  attract  increased  immigration.  Eijual 
rights  also  and  free  schools  are  operative.  We  expend 
for  education  nearly  six  times  as  much,  per  caput,  as 
Europe.  Parents  know  that  their  children  will  have  a 
better  chance  here,  and  come  for  their  sake.  These 
facts  are  becoming  more  widely  known  in  other  lands. 


>  Henry  QeorRe  in  Twilight  Club  Tracts,  p.  37. 

»  Mnlliall,  Balance-Sheet  of  the  World,  1K70-If«0,  p.  39. 


PKKIL^ 


-IMMIG  RATION.  4:7 


Every  foreigner  who  comes  to  us  and  wins  success,  as 
most  of  them  do  under  more  favorable  conditions,  be- 
comes an  advertiser  of  our  land;  he  strongly  attracts 
his  relatives  and  friends,  and  very  likely  sends  them 
money  for  their  passage.  Our  consul  at  Frankfort 
writes:  "Not  less  than  one-half  of  the  German  emi- 
grants to  the  United  States  emigrate  by  the  advice  and 
assistance  of  friends  residing  there."  Says  Prof.  R. 
M.  Smith',!  "The  Inman  Steamship  Company  has  3500 
agents  in' Europe,  and  an  equal  number  in  this  country, 
selling  prepaid  tickets  to  be  sent  to  friends  and  relatives 
of  persons  already  here  in  order  to  provide  them  with  pas- 
sage." Of  course  other  companies  pursue  a  like  pohcy. 
2.  The  expellent  influences  of  Europe.  Social  or  poht- 
ical  upheavals  send  new  waves  of  immigration  to  our 
shores.  A  glance  at  the  situation  shows  that  the  pros- 
pect for  the  next  fifteen  or  twenty  years  is  not  pacific. 

France.  The  French  are  fickle.  From  the  Revolution 
down  to  1870,  no  political  regime  had  continvied  for 
twenty  consecutive  years.  The  fact,  therefore,  that  the 
Third  Republic  has  survived  this  period,  which  seems  to 
constitute  the  necessary  political  probation  of  a  French 
government,  is  a  favorable  augury  of  its  permanence. 
Boulangism  expressed  whatever  dissatisfaction  existed  in 
various  classes,  with  the  republic;  and  its  utter  collapse 
justifies  the  hope  that  the  French  will  enjoy  a  settled  gov- 
ernment for  years  to  come.  And  if  the  Republic  becomes 
permanent,  which  now  seems  likely,  it  will  operate  as  a 
constant  thorn  in  the  sides  of  European  monarchies,  by 
stirring  up  popular  discontent. 

Germany.  The  Revolution  of  1848  shoAved  that  the 
German  people,  always  lovers  of  freedom,  had  grasped 
the  principles  of  civil  liberty;  but  it  also  shOAved  that 
they  had  no  practical  knowledge  of  self-government. 
During  those  forty -two  succeeding  years  of  increasing 
acquaintance  with  our  free  institutions,  their  love  of 
liberty  has  been  growing,  but  in  the  science  of  self-gov- 

»  Emigration  and  Immigration,  p.  46, 


48  PERILS. — IM. MIGRATION'. 

crnmont  they  have  jjjained  no  e.xiK'ricjico.  Germany 
presents  the  anomaly  of  a  modern  inilu.strial  civiHzation 
under  a  media'val  military  government;  a  people  char- 
acterized b}^  a  strong  love  of  inde]»enden(;e,  ruled  by  an 
emperor  who  says,  "Those  who  oppose  me,  I  dash  to 
pieces."  Such  a  condition  can  hardly  be  one  of  stable 
ecpiilibrium.  Whether  this  young  ruler  is  capable  of 
adapting  hiiliself  and  his  government  to  modern  condi- 
ti<jns  remains  to  be  seen.  Meanwhile,  emigration  will 
pi-obably  increase  with  popular  dissatisfaction,  which 
latter  is  imUeated  by  the  rapid  growth  of  socialism. 

During  the  last  twelve  years,  nearly  three-quarters  of 
a  million  of  German  subjects  have  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  and  Ihe  number  is  not  likely  to  decrease 
under  increasing  burdens.  A  few  years  ago,  a  member 
of  the  Reichstag  exclaimed:  "The  German  people  have 
now  but  one  want — money  enough  to  get  to  America. " 

Austria.  Immigration  from  this  quarter  shows  a 
marked  increase;  and  the  Minister  of  War  calls  for  a 
considerable  addition  to  the  army,  which  Avill  iuNolve  an 
increased  expenditure  of  80,000,000  oi-  100,000,000  florins. 

Italy.  The  Italians  are  worse  fed  than  any  otlier  j^eo- 
ple  in  Kurop(s  save  the  Portugui'-se.  The  tax-collector 
takes  thirty-one  per  cent,  of  the  people's  earnings! 
Many  thousands  of  small  jiroprietors  have  been  evicted 
from  the  crown-lands  because  unable  to  i)ay  the  taxes. 
The  burtleu  of  taxation  has  become  intolerable.  Not- 
witlistauding  the  industi-ial  advance  made  by  Ital}' 
from  1S70  to  1880,  the  national  debt  increased  so  much 
more  rapidly  that  the  nation  was  ^200.000,000  poorer  in 
1S80  than  ten  years  before.  For  the  financial  year  end- 
ing in  I8SS  there  was  a  deficit  in  the  national  treasury  of 
r.7,000,0()0  lire;  and  for  the  two  years  ending  in  JSIIO  the 
budget  estimates  showed  a  deficit  of  248,000.000  lire. 
Growing  population  and  increasing  taxation  are  result- 
ing in  increased  emigration.  The  total  number  of  emi- 
grants, which  in  188-f  was  147,000,  had  increased  in  I8SS 
to  2'.»0.000.  At  jii-esent  tiiis  .stream  is  mercifully  being 
deflecte(l   iti   lai-ge    nn'asin-e  to  South  Amei'ica,   but  our 


PKIU  I.S. — IMMIGRATION.  VJ 

portion  of  it  tends  to  increase,  and  Italy,  pressed  by 
want  as  severe  as  that  of  Ireland,  may  yet  send  a  like 
flood  upon  us. 

Russia.  The  throne  of  the  Czar  stands  on  a  volcano. 
Alexander  III.  seems  fully  committed  to  imperialism, 
and  the  Revolutionists  are  fully  determined  that  the 
people  shall  assist  in  the  work  of  government.  They 
are  wholly  unrestrained  by  any  religious  scruples, 
and  do  not  hesitate  to  sacrifice  themselves  as  well  as 
their  enemies  in  the  execution  of  their  plans.  "The 
Government  may  continue  to  ari-est  and  hang  as  long  as 
it  likes,  and  may  succeed  in  oispressing  single  revolution- 
ary bodies.  .  .  .  But  this  will  not  change  the  state 
of  things.  Revolutionists  will  be  created  by  events;  by 
the  general  discontent  of  the  whole  of  the  people ;  by  the 
tendency  of  Russia  toward  new  social  forms.  An  entire 
nation  cannot  be  suppressed.'"  The  utterly  lawless 
warfare  of  the  Nihilists  naturally  prevents  the  Czar 
from  making  any  concessions,  while  his  arbitrary  and 
oppressive  acts  deepen  popular  discontent.  Apparently, 
the  repressive  policy  of  the  Government  and  popular 
agitation  will  serve  each  to  intensify  the  other,  until 
there  results  a  spasmodic  convulsion  throughout  Russia. 
And  revolution  in  Russia  means  increased  emigration. 

Great  Britain.  There  is  much  popular  discontent  in 
the  United  Kingdom,  which  will  increase  as  England 
loses  her  manufacturing  supremacy.  The  late  Mr.  Faw- 
cett  says  -  that  local  expenditure,  if  it  increases  during 
the  next  quarter  of  a  century  as  during  the  last,  will  ex- 
ceed that  of  the  Imperial  Government.  Local  authorities 
raise  $200,000,000  a  year  for  local  purposes,  and  have  an 
annual  deficit  of  $100,000,000,  which  is  met  by  borrowing. 
Local  indebtedness  increased  from  $165,000,000  in  18G7  to 
$600,000,000  in  1884.  In  1880  the  amount  of  mortgage  on 
landed  property  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  was  58  per 
cent,  of    its  full  value.     Thomas  Hughes    says:    "Wo 

'Address  of  the  "Executive  Committee"  to  the  Emperor,  March   10th, 
1881.    Underground  Russia,  p.  267. 
-  iManual  of  Political  Economy. 


50  I'EKIJvS.— IMMHiRATIOX. 

may  despiyo  the  present  advocates  of  social  democracy, 
and  make  light  of  their  sayings  and  doings;  but 
there  is  no  man  who  knows  what  is  really  going  on  in 
England  but  will  admit  that  there  will  have  to  be  a 
serious  reckoning  with  them  at  no  distant  day."  There 
is  but  one  Gladstone,  and  he  is  an  old  man.  A  writer  in 
Tlie  British  Quarterly  ^  says:  "The  retirement  of  Mr. 
Gladstone  will  be  the  breaking  up  of  the  great  deep  in 
English  politics."  And  social  and  political  disturbances 
in  Great  Britain  mean  increased  emigration. 

The  progress  of  civilization  is  in  the  direction  of  popu- 
lar government.  All  kings  and  their  armies  cannot 
reverse  the  wheels  of  human  progress.j  I  think  it  was 
Victor  Hugo,  who,  with  prophetic  ear,  heard  a  European 
of  some  coming  generation  say:  "Why,  we  once  had 
kings  over  here !  "  All  the  races  of  Europe  will  one  day 
enjoy  the  civil  liberty  Avhich  now  seems  the  peculiar  birth- 
right of  the  Anglo-Saxon.  De  Tocqueville,  whom  Mr. 
Gladstone  calls  the  Edmund  Burke  of  his  generation, 
said  he  regarded  the  progress  of  democratic  principles  in 
government  as  a  providential  fact,  the  result  of  a  divine 
decree.  Matthew  Arnold,  after  his  last  visit  to  America, 
speaking  of  the  republican  forjn  of  government,  said :  "  It 
is  the  only  eventual  form  of  government  for  all  people." 
Great  revolutions,  then,  are  to  take  place  in  Europe, 
why  not  within  the  next  twenty-five  years—some  of 
them?  And  judging  the  future  by  the  past,  they  will 
not  be  peaceful.  The  giant  is  blind  and  grinding  in  his 
prison  house,  howbeit  his  locks  are  growing,  and  we 
know  not  how  soon  ho  may  bow  himself  between  the 
pillars  of  despotism. 

Besides  the  great  political  revolutions  which  may  rea- 
sonably be  expected  within  a  generation,  men  are  fear- 
ing the  tremendous  conflict  of  arms  which  General  Von 
Moltke  has  seen  for  years  pending  "like  the  sword  of 
Damocles,"  and  whicih  he  and  many  others  regard  as, 
inevitable.     Silent,  but  iirofound  influences  are  at  work' 


April,  1883. 


PERILS.  —  IM.MKi  RATION. 


51 


to  revise  the  map  of  Europe.  The  common  people  are 
learning  to  read,  and  history  and  poetry  kindle  patriot- 
ism. With  the  growth  of  popular  intelhgence,  the  iden- 
tity of  language  and  of  blood  is  exerting  an  increasing 
influence,  and  the  fragments  of  nationalities,  long  since 
dismembered  and  thought  dead,  are  seeking  each  other 
like  the  dry  bones  in  Ezekiel's  vision,  to  be  followed  by 
a  resurrection  of  the  old  national  spirit  and  life.  The 
Eastern  question  of  to-day  springs  from  the  fact  that 
many  fragments  of  different  races,  held  together  only 
by  the  arbitrary  bond  of  force,  are  seeking  a  rearrange- 
ment based  on  a  common  origin  and  language.  It  looks 
as  if  this  tendency  would  sooner  or  later  disturb  the  ex- 
isting balance  of  power,  and  so  precipitate  a  great,  and 
perhaps  general,  conflict. 

In  preparation  for  this  crisis  each  nation  is  seeking  to 
outdo  its  rivals.  The  following  table  i  indicates  in  some 
measure  what  a  European  war  might  mean : 


Countries. 

PEACE-FoOTINa. 

WAR-FoOTINCx. 

Total,  Including 
ALL  Reserves. 

Austria- 
Hungary, 

323,000 

1,631,000 

4,000,000 

France, 

555,000 

2,500,000 

3,750,000 

Germany, 

492,000 

2,232,000 

3,000,000 

Italy, 

255,000 

588,000 

2,765,000 

Russia, 

814,000 

1,715,000 

7,511,000  2 

Total, 

2,439,000 

8,666,000 

21,026,000 

1  Compiled  from  the  Statesman's  Year-Book, 
a  The  World  Almanac,  1890. 


52  I'HKii.s. — immi(;i;atiox. 

Of  course  readiness  for  war  is  something?  relative. 
Whatever  its  army  may  be,  a  nation  becomes  ill-pre- 
pared as  soon  as  its  enemy  is  better  prepared.  Hence 
the  ever-increasing  equipment  and  the  growth  of  mili- 
tarism, which,  as  Mr.  Gladstone  says,  "  lies  like  a  vam- 
pire over  Europe." 

In  Continental  Europe  genei'ally  the  best  years  of  all 
able-bodied  men  are  demanded  for  military  duty.  Ger- 
mans must  be  seven  years  in  the  army,  and  give  three  of 
them  to  active  service;  the  French,  nine  years  in  the 
army  and  five  years  in  active  service;  Austrinns,  ten 
years  in  the  army  and  three  in  active  service;  Russians, 
fifteen  years  in  the  army  and  six  in  active  service. 
When  not  in  active  service  they  are  under  certain  re- 
strictions. In  addition  to  all  this,  when  no  longer  mem- 
bers of  the  army,  they  are  liable  to  be  called  on  to  do 
military  duty  for  a  period  varying  from  two  to  five 
years.  This  robbery  of  a  man's  life,  together  with  the 
common  expectation  that  Avar  must  come  sooner  or 
later,  will  continue  to  be  a  powerful  stimulus  to  emigra- 
tion^;  and  the  "blood  tax  "  which  is  required  to  support 
these  millions  of  men  during  unproductive  years  is 
steadily  increasing.  While  aggregate  taxation  de- 
creased in  the  United  States,  from  1870  to  1880,  9.15  per 
cent.,  it  increased  in  Europe  28.01  per  cent.  The  in- 
crease in  Great  Britain  was  20.17  per  cent. ;  in  France, 
36.13  per  cent. ;  in  Russia,  37.83  per  cent. ;  in  Sweden  and 
Norway,  50.10  percent.;  in  Germany,  57.81  percent. 
And  while  the  bui'den  of  taxation  is  so  heavy  and  so 
rapidly  increasing,  the  public  debts  of  Continental 
Europe  are  making  frightful  growth.  They  increased 
71.75  per  cent,  from  1870  to  1880,  since  which  time  they 
have  been  enlarged  by  nearly  three  thousand  million 
dollars  and  now  reach  a  total  of  ^20,580.000,000,  entailing 
an  annual  burden  of  11,000,000,000  for  interest.     The  cost 

'  "  Diirinjc  IHTS  ami  1873,  which  were  good  years  for  tlie  workingolas.ses  of 
Gt'rmuny.  lliere  were  not  less  than  10,000  processes  annually  for  evasion  of 
military  duty  by  emigration."  Professor  Smith's  Kmipratioii  nnrt  Inunigra- 
tion,  p.  27. 


PEUILS.— IMMIGRATIOxM.  58 

of  government  rose  fifty  per  cent,  from  1875  to  1885.  If 
existing  tendencies  continue  a  quarter  of  a  century 
longer,  they  are  likely  to  precipitate  a  terrible  financial 
catastrophe  and  perhaps  a  great  social  crisis.  Moreover, 
the  pressure  of  a  dense  population  is  increasing;  22,225- 
000  souls  having  been  added  to  the  population  of  Europe 
during  the  ten  years  preceding  1880.  Europe  could 
send  us  an  unceasing  stream  of  2,000,000  emigrants  a 
year  for  a  century,  and  yet  steadily  increase  her  popula- 
tion. 

fWe  find,  therefore,  the  prospect  of  political  commo- 
tions, the  fear  of  war,  tlie  thumb-screw  of  taxation 
given  a  frequent  turn,  and  a  dense  population  becoming 
jnore  crowded,  all  uniting  their  influence  to  swell  Euro- 
pean emigration  for  years  to  come.  , 

3.  Facilities  of  travel  are  increasing.  From  1870  to 
1880,  39,857  miles  of  railway  were  built  in  Europe,  only 
two  thousand  less  than  in  the  United  States  during  the 
same  period;  and  from  1880  to  1888  there  were  26,478 
miles  built.  Thus,  interior  populations  are  enabled 
more  easily  to  reach  the  seaboard.  Instead  of  a  long 
and  tedious  passage  by  sailship,  the  steamer  lands  the 
immigrant  in  a  week  or  ten  days.  We  find  that  steam- 
ships, in  a  single  year,  make  741  trips  from  nine  Eui'O- 
pean  ports  to  New  York,  and  144  from  other  ports  of 
Europe.  And  some  of  these  ships  carry  upwards  of  a 
thousand  steerage  passengers.  Improvements  in  steam 
navigation  are  making  the  ocean  passage  easier,  quicker 
and  cheaper.  In  1825  the  cheapest  passage  from  Europe 
to  America  was  about  $100.  Now  the  rates  from  conti- 
nental ports  to  New  York  are  from  $23  to  $26.  Steerage 
passage  from  Hamburg  to  New  York  has  been  as  low  as 
seven  dollars.^    There  are  great  multitudes  in  Europe 

who  look  westward  with  longing  eyes,  but  who  do  not 
come,  only  because  they  cannot  gather  the  passage 
money  and  keep  soul  and  body  together.     The  reduction 


1  Testiiiumy  before  Ford  Committee,  p.  5. 


54  I'Eitii^s. — ].M.\iit;i:ATi()X. 

of  rates,  even  a  tew  dollars,  makes  America  possible, to 
ackled  thousands. 

I  The  threefold  influences,  therefore,  which  regulate 
immigration  all  co-operate  to  increase  it  and  indicate 
tliat  for  years  to  come  this  great  "gulf -stream  of  hu- 
manity "  with  here  and  there  an  eddy,  will  flow  on  witli 
a  rising  flood. 

Furthermore,  labor-saving  machinery  has  entered 
upon  a  campaign  of  world-wide  conquest.  This  fact  will 
render  still  more  operative  each  of  the  three  classes  of 
influences  enumerated  above.  Wherever  man  labors 
labor-saving  machinery  is  destined  ultimately  to  go ;  and 
the  people  of  the  United  States  are  to  make  most  of  it 
for  the  worki  We  have  mountains  of  iron  and  inex- 
haustible measures  of  coal,  together  with  a  genius  for 
invention.  In  fifty-three  years,  1837-1889,  our  Patent 
Office  has  issued  449,928  patents.  Already  are  we  send- 
ing our  machines  over  the  civilized  world.  And  what 
does  this  mean?  Sending  a  machine  to  Europe  that  does 
the  work  of  a  hundred  men,  temporarily  throws  a  hun- 
dred men  out  of  employment.  That  machine  is  useful 
because  it  renders  useless  the  skill  or  strength  of  a  hun- 
dred men.  They  cannot  easily,  in  a  crowded  poindation, 
ndjust  themselves  to  this  new  condition  of  things.  The 
m.iking  of  this  machinery  in  the  United  States  increases 
the  demand  for  ]al)or  here,  and  its  exportation  decreases 
the  demand  for  labor  in  the  Old  World.  That  means 
immigi-ation  to  this  e(Hintry.  We  are  to  send  our  labor- 
saving  machinery  around  the  globe,  and  in  a  sense, 
equivnlents  in  bon(;  and  muscle  are  to  be  sent  back  to 
us. 

Tin  view  oC  tlie  fact  that  Em-ope  is  able  to  send  us  six 
times  as  many  immigrants  during  the  next  thirty  years 
as  during  the  thirty  years  past,  Avithout  any  diminution 
of  her  population,  and  in  view  of  all  the  powerful  influ- 
ences co-operating  to  stimulate  the  movement,  is  it  not 
reasonable  to  expect  a  rising  tide  of  immigration  mdess 
Congress  takes  efl'ective  measures  to  check  it? 

The  Tenth  ( 'tiisus  gave  our  total  foi-cign-born   popnla- 


PJilRILS.  —  IMMIGRATION.  55 

tion  as  G,67'.),D-13;  but  we  must  not  forget  their  children 
of  the  first  generation,  who,  as  we  shall  see,  present  a 
more  serious  problem  than  their  parents,  'the  immi- 
grants. This  class  numbered  in  1880,  8,276,053,  making 
a  total  population  of  nearly  15,000,000  which  was  foreign 
by  birth  or  parentage. 

We  are  not  yet  informed  by  the  Eleventh  Census 
what  is  the  present  foreign-born  population.  But  know- 
ing what  it  was  in  1880  and  knowing  what  immigration 
has  been  since  then,  we  can  estimate  it  approximately. 
If  the  death  rate  among  the  foreign-born  population  was 
the  same  from  1880  to  1890  as  from  1870  to  1880  and  if 
the  same  percentage  returned  to  Europe,  that  population 
now  numbers  9,590,000;  and  if  the  proportion  of  foreign- 
born  to  those  of  foreign-parentage  is  the  same  now  as  in 
1880,  our  population  which  is  foreign  by  birth  or  parent- 
numbers  31,385,000,  or  33.94  per  cent,  of  the  whole.' 

So  immense  a  foreign  element  must  have  a  profound 
influence  on  our  national  life  and  character.  Immigra- 
tion brings  unquestioned  benefits,  but  these  do  not  con- 
cern our  argument.  It  complicates  almost  every  home 
missionary  problem  and  fui'nishes  the  soil  which  feeds 
the  life  of  several  of  the  most  noxious  growths  of  our 
civilizationrj  I  have,  therefore,  dwelt  at  some  length 
upon  its  fu£ure  that  we  may  the  more  accurately  meas- 
ure the  dangers  which  threaten  us. 

Consider  briefly  the  moral  and  political  influence  of 
immigration.  1.  Influence  on  morals."^  Let  me  hasten 
to  recognize  the  high  worth  of  many  of  our  citizens 
of  foreign  birth,  not  a  few  of  whom  are  eminent  in  the 

1  In  the  first  edition,  it  was  estimated  that  in  view  of  all  the  influences^ 
calculated  to  stimulate  immigration  the  annual  average  from  1880  to  1900 
would  very  likely  reach  800,000  which  was  in  round  numbers  the  immigra- 
tion in  1882.  The  annual  average  for  the  past  ten  years  has  been  524,800. 
Immigration  for  the  next  ten  years,  if  unrestrained  by  a  financial  panic  or 
hostile  legislation,  might  be  large  enough  to  raise  the  average  for  the 
twenty  years  to  800,000,  but  the  very  general  feeling  of  opposition  to  unre- 
stiicted  immigration,  which  has  manifested  itself  in  recent  years,  would 
doubtless  lead  Congress  to  take  action  which  would  restrict  it  before  it 
eould  assume  such  proportions. 


56  PERILS. — IMMiailATION. 

pulpit  and  in  all  the  learned  professions.  Manj^  come  to 
us  in  full  sympathy  with  our  free  institutions,  and  desir- 
ing to  aid  us  in  promoting  a  Christian  civilization. 
But  no  one  knows  better  than  these  same  intelligent 
and  Christian  foreigners  that  they  do  not  represent  the 
mass  of  immigrants.  [The  typical  immigrant  is  a 
European  peasant,  whdse  horizon  has  been  narrow, 
whose  moral  and  religious  training  has  been  meager  or 
false,  and  Avhose  ideas  of  life  ai-e  low.  Not  a  few 
belong  to  the  pauper  and  criminal  classes.^  ' '  From  a  late 
report  of  the  Howard  Society  of  London,  it  appears  that 
'  seventy-four  per  cent,  of  the  Irish  discharged  convicts 
have  found  their  way  to  the  United  States.'  "  *  "  Every 
detective  in  New  York  knows  that  there  is  scarcely  a 
ship  landing  immigrants  that  does  not  bi-ing  English, 
French,  German,  or  Italian  'crooks."'^  \AIoreover, 
immigration  is  demoralizing.  No  man  is  held  upright 
simply  by  the  strength  of  his  own  roots;  his  branches 
interlock  wnth  those  of  other  men,  and  thus  society  is 
foi'med,  with  all  its  laws  and  customs  and  force  of 
public  opinon.  Few  men  appreciate  the  extent  to 
which  they  are  indebted  to  their  surroundings  for  the 
strength  with  wiiich  they  resist,  or  do,  or  suffer.  All 
this  strength  the  emigrant  leaves  behind  him.  He  is 
isolated  in  a  strange  land,  perhaps  doubly  so  by  reason 
of  a  strange  speech.  He  is  transplanted  from  a  forest 
to  an  open  prairie,  where,  before  he  is  rooted,  he  is 
smitten  with  the  blasts  of  temptation.  ( 

rWe  have  a  good  deal  of  piety  in  our^churches  tliat  will 
not  bear  transportation.  It  cannot  endure  even  the 
slight  change  of  climate  involved  in  spending  a  few  sum- 
mer weeks  at  a  watering  place,  and  is  commonly  left  at 
home.  American  travelers  in  Europe  often  grant  them- 
selves license,  on  which,  if  at  home,  they  Avould  frown. 
tVery  many  cliurch-membei-s,  when  they  go  west,  seem 
to  think  they  have  left  th(Mr  Christian  obligations  with 


Donlu'sfers'  l'ir.lil<>m  of  Relipinus  Progress,  p.  423. 
W.  M.  ]•'.  Knmiii  in  Funnii  f(ir  IVreinber  1K.S9. 


PERILS. — IMMIGKATIOK.  5< 

their  church-membership  in  the  EastT]  And  a  consider- 
able element  of  our  American-born  papulation  are  ap 
parently  under  the  impression  that  the  Ten  Command- 
ments are  not  binding  west  of  the  Missouri.  ■  Is  it 
strange,  then,  that  those  who  come  from  other  lands, 
whose  old  associations  are  all  broken  and  whose  reputa- 
tions are  left  behind,  should  sink  to  a  lower  moral  level? 
Across  the  sea  they  suffered  many  restraints  which  are 
here  removed.  Better  wages  afford  larger  means  of  self- 
indulgence  ;  often  the  back  is  not  strong  enough  to  bear 
prosperity,  and  liberty  too  often  lapses  into  license.  Our 
population  of  foreign  extraction  is  sadly  conspicuous  in 
our  criminal  records.  This  element  constituted  in  1870 
twenty  per  cent,  of  the  population  of  New  England,  and 
furnished  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  crime.  That  is,  it 
was  twelve  times  as  much  disposed  to  crime  as  the 
native  stock.  The  hoodlums  and  roughs  of  our  cities 
are,  most  of  them,  American-born  of  foreign  parentage. 
Of  the  680  discharged  convicts  who  applied  to  the  Prison 
Association  of  New  York  for  aid,  dviring  the  year  ending 
June  30,  1882,  442  were  born  in  tlie  United  States, 
against  238  foreign-born ;  while  only  144  reported  native 
parentage  against  536  who  reported  foreign  parentage. 

The  Rhode  Island  Work-house  and  House  of  Correc- 
tion had  received,  to  December  31,  1882,  6,202  persons  on 
commitment.  Of  this  number,  fifty-two  per  cent,  were 
native-born  and  seventy-six  per  cent,  were  born  of 
foreign  parentage.'  Of  the  182  prisoners  committed  to 
the  Massachusetts  Reformatory  for  Women  in  1880-81, 
eighty  one  per  cent,  were  of  foreign  birth  or  parentage. 
While  in  1880  the  foreign-born  were  only  thirteen  per 
cent,  of  the  entire  population,  the.y  fin-nished  nineteen 
per  cent,  of  the  convicts  in  our  penitentiaries,  and  forty- 
three  per  cent,  of  the  inmates  of  work-houses  and  houses 
of  correction.  And  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  a  very 
large  proportion  of  the    native-born  prisoners  were  of 


1  For  additional  statistics  on  this    point,   see  North  American  Review, 
Januai-}',  1884. 


ns 


PETIILS.  —  IMMHiltATION". 


foreign  parentage,  and  this  fureign-born  element,  wliile 
it  constituted  less  than  one-seventh  of  our  population, 
furnislied  more  than  one-tliird  of  our  paupers,  and  five- 
eighths  of  our  suicides. 

[Moreover,  immigration  not  only  furnishes  the  greater 
portion  of  our  criminals,  it  is  also  seriously  affecting  tlie 
inorals  of  the  native  population.  It  is  disease  and  not 
health  which  is  contagious.  Most  foreigners  bring  with 
them  continental  ideas  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the  result  is 
sadly  manifest  in  all  our  cities,  where  it  is  being  trans- 
formed from  a  holy  day  into  a  holiday.  But  by' far  the 
most  effective  instrumentality  for  debauching  popular 
morals  is  the  liciuov  traffic,  and  this  is  chiefly  carried  on 
by  foreigners^  In  1880,  of  the  "Traders  and  dealers  in 
liquors  and  wines," i  (I  suppose  this  means  wholesale 
dealers)  sixty-three  per  cent,  were  foreign-born,  and  of 
the  brewers  and  maltsters  seventy -five  per  cent,  while  a 
large  proportion  of  the  remainder  were  of  foreign  parent- 
age. Of  saloon-keei)ers  about  sixty  per  cent,  were 
foreign-born,  while  many  of  the  remaining  forty  per 
cent,  of  these  corrupters  of  youth,  these  western  Arabs, 
whose  hand  is  against  every  man,  were  of  foreign  ex- 
traction. 

2.  We  can  only  glance  at  the  political  aspects  of  im- 
migration. As  we  have  already  seen,  it  is  immigration 
which  has  fed  fat  the  liquor  power;  and  there  is  a  liquor 
vote.  Immigration  furnishes  most  of  the  victims  of 
Mormonism;  and  there  is  a  Mormon  vote.  Immigration 
is  the  strength  of  the  Catholic  church;  and  there  is  a 
Catholic  vote.  Immigration  is  the  mother  and  nurse  of 
American  socialism;  and  there  is  to  be  a  socialist  vote. 
Immigration  tends  strongly  to  the  cities,  and  gives  to 
them  their  political  complexion.  And  there  is  no  more 
serious  menace  to  our  civilization  than  our  i*abblc-ruled 
cities.  These  several  perils,  all  of  which  are  enhanced  by 
immigration,  will  be  considered  in  succeeding  chaptei-s. 

PMany  American  citizens  are  not  Americanized.     It  is 

'  ThoTt'iitli  Ccnsiis. 


PERILS. — IMMIGRATION.  59 

as  unfortunate  as  it  is  natural,  that  foreigners  in  this 
coiuatry  should  cherish  their  own  language  and  peculiar 
customs,  and  carry  their  nationality,  as  a  distinct  factor, 
into  our  politics.  Immigration  has  created  the  "Ger- 
man vote"  and  the  "Irish  vote,"  for  which  politicians 
bid,  and  which  have  already  been  decisive  of  state  elec- 
tions, and  might  easily  determine  national.  A  mass  of 
men  but  little  acquainted  with  our  institutions,  who  will 
act  in  concert  and  who  are  controlled  largely  by  their 
appetites  and  prejudices,  constitute  a  very  paradise  for 
demagogues. 

We  have  seen  that  immigration  is  detrimental  to  pop- 
ular morals.  It  has  a  like  influence  upon  popular  intel- 
ligence, for  the  percentage  of  illiteracy  among  the 
foreign-born  population  is  thirty-eight  per  cent,  greater 
than  among  the  native-born  whites.  Thus  immigration 
complicates  our  moral  and  political  probleius  by  swelling 
our  dangerous  classes.  And  as  immigration  will  prob- 
ably increase  more  rapidly  than  the  population,  we  may 
infer  that  the  dangerous  classes  will  probably  increase 
more  rapidly  than  hitherto.  ^  It  goes  without  saying, 
that  there  is  a  dead-line  of  ignorance  and  vice  in  every 
republic,  and  when  it  is  touched  by  the  average  citizen, 
free  institutions  perish;  for  intelligence  and  virtue  are 
as  essential  to  the  life  of  a  republic  as  are  brain  and  heart 
to  the  life  of  a  man.' 

A  severe  strain  upon  a  bridge  may  be  borne  with  safety 
if  evenly  distributed,  which,  if  concentratqd,  would  ruin 
the  whole  structure.  There  is  among  our  population  of 
alien  birth  an  unhappy  tendency  toward  aggregation, 
which  concentrates  the  strain  upon  portions  of  our  so- 
cial and  political  fabric.  Certain  quarters  of  many  of 
the  cities,  are,  in  language,  customs  and  costumes,  es- 
sentially foreign.     Many  colonies  have  bouglit  up  lands 


1  From  1870  to  1880  the  population  increased  30.06  per  cent.  During  the 
same  period  the  number  of  criminals  increased  82.33  per  cent.  In  1850,  there 
were  290  prisoners  to  every  million  of  the  population;  in  1860,  there  were  607 
to  each  million;  in  1870,  there  were  S.'iS,  and  in  1880,  there  were  1169.  That 
is.  in  thirty  years  the  proportion  of  criminals  increased  fourfold. 


60  I'KKILS. — IMMiUKATION. 

and  so  set  themselves  apart  from  Amciricaniziiig  influ- 
ences. In  1845,  New  Glai'us,  in  southern  Wisconsin,  was 
settled  by  a  colony  of  108  persons  from  one  of  the  can- 
tons of  Switzerland.  In  1880  they  numbered  1,060  souls : 
and  in  1885  it  was  said,  "  No  Yankee  lives  Avithin  a  rin;.; 
of  six  miles  round  the  first  built  dug-out."  This  Helve- 
tian settlement,  founded  three  years  before  Wisconsin 
became  a,  state,  has  preserved  its  race,  its  language,  its 
Avorship,  and  its  customs  in  their  integrity.  Siniilar  col- 
onies are  now  being  planted  in  the  West.  In  some  cases 
100,000  or  200,000  acres  in  one  block,  have  been  pur- 
chased by  foreigners  of  one  nationality  and  religion ; 
thus  building  up  states  within  a  state,  having  different 
languages,  different  antecedents,  different  religions,  dif- 
ferent ideas  and  habits,  preparing  mutual  jealousies,  and 
perpetuating  race  antipathies.  In  New  England,  conven- 
tions are  held  to  which  only  French  Canadian  Catholics 
are  admitted  .  At  such  a  convention  in  Nashua  in  1888, 
attended  by  eighty  priests,  the  following  mottoes  were 
displayed:  "  Our  tongue,  our  nationality,  and  our  re- 
ligion." "  Before  everything  else  let  us  remain  French." 
If  our  noble  domain  were  tenfold  larger  than  it  is,  it 
would  stiJl  be  too  small  to  embrace  with  safety  to  our 
national  future,  little  Germanics  hei'e,  little  Scandina- 
vias  there,  and  little  Irelands  yonder.  A  strong  central- 
ized government,  like  that  of  Rome  under  the  Caesars, 
can  control  heterogeneous  populations,  but  local  self-gov- 
ernment implies  close  relations  between  man  and  man,  a 
measure  of  sympathy,  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  commu- 
nity of  ideas,  j  Oin-  safety  demands  the  assimilation  of 
these  strange  populations,  and  the  process  of  assimilation 
will  become  slower  and  more  difficult  as  the  proportion 
of_foreigners  inci-eases. 

/When  we  consider  the  influence  of  immigration,  it  is 
by  no  means  reassuring  to  reflect  that  so  large  a  share 
of  it  is  pouring  into  the  formative  West.  Already  is  the 
]>roportion  of  foreigners  in  the  territories  from  two  to 
three  times  greatei-  than  in  the  states  east  of  the  Missis- 
sii.pi.      Ill    the  Easf,   instidilions  have  Ix'cn  long  estab- 


PERILS. — IMMKillATlUN.  61 

lished  and  are,  therefore,  less  easily  modified  by  foreign 
iiitluence,  but  in  the  West,  where  institutions  are  forma- 
tive, that  intluence  is  far  more  powerful.  We  may  well 
ask— and  with  special  reference  to  the  West— whether 
this  in-sweeping  immigration  is  to  foreignize  us,  or  we 
are  to  Americanize  it_  Mr.  Beecher  once  said,  "  When 
the  lion  eats  an  ox,  the  ox  becomes  lion,  not  the  lion,  ox." 
The  illustration  would  be  very  neat  if  it  only  illustrated. 
The  lion  happily  has  an  instinct  controlled  by  an  imfail- 
ing  law  which  determines  what,  and  when,  and  how 
much  he  shall  eat.  If  that  instinct  should  fail,  and  he 
should  some  day  eat  a  badly  diseased  ox,  or  should  very 
much  over-eat,  we  might  have  on  our  hands  a  very  sick 
lion:  I  can  even  conceive  that  under  such  conditions 
the  ignoble  ox  might  slay  the  king  of  beasts.  Foreigners 
are  not  coming  to  the  United  States  in  answer  to  any 
appetite  of  ours,  controlled  by  ffn  unfailing  moral  or 
political  instinct.  They  naturally  consult  their  own  in- 
terests in  coming,  not  ours.  The  lion,  without  being 
consulted  as  to  time,  quantity  or  quality,  is  having  the 
food  thrust  down  his  throat,  and  his  only  alternative  is, 
digest  or  die. 


Roman  Catholic  Population  in  New  Mexico,  Arizona, 
Ulah,\VyoniinK,  Dakota,  niontana,  Idaho  and  Wash- 
iiif^ton,  in  1880,  Compared  with  the  Entire  Member- 
ship of  all  Evangelical  Churches. 


Members 

of  Evangelicul 

Clmrclies. 


CHAPTER  V. 


PERILS. 


The  perils  wliich  threaten  the  nation  and  peculiarly 
menace  the  West  demand,  for  their  adequate  presenta- 
tion, much  more  space  than  the  narrow  limits  of  this 
work  allow.     We  can  touch  only  salient  points. 

ROMANISM. 

There  are  many  who  are  disposed  to  attribute  any  f(^ar 
of  Roman  CathoHcisin  in  the  United  States  to  bigotry 
or  childishness.  Sucli  see  nothing  in  the  character  and 
attitude  of  Romanism  tliat  is  hostile  to  our  free  institu- 
tions, or  hnd  nothing  portentous  in  its  growth.  Let  us, 
tlieii,  first,  compare  some  of  the  fundamental  principles 
of  our  free  institutions  with  those  of  the  Roman  CathohC 
church. 


-ROMANISM. 


63 


I.  Hie  Declaration  of  Independence  teaches  Popular 
Sovereigrdy.  It  says  that  ' '  governments  derive  their  just 
poicers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed.''  Roman  Cath- 
olic doctrine  invests  the  Pope  with  supreme  sovereignty. 
In  "  Essays  on  Religion  and  Literature,"  edited  by  Arch- 
bishop Manning,  1867,  Ave  read,  p.  416;  "  Moreover,  the 
right  of  deposing  kings  is  inherent  in  the  supreme  sover- 
eignty which  the  Popes,  as  vicegerents  of  Christ,  exer- 
cise over  all  Christian  nations. " 

In  Art.  VI.,  Sec.  2  of  the  Constitution  we  find:  "  r///.s- 
Constitution  and  the  laws  of  the  United  States  ivhich 
shall  be  made  in  pursuance  thereof  ....  shall  be  the 
supreme  laiv  of  the  land:'  The  Canon  Law  of  the 
Church  of  Rome  is  essentially  the  constitution  of  that 
church,  binding  upon  Roman  Catholics  everywhere. 
The  bull,  ''Pastoralis  Regiminis,"  pviblished  by  Benedict 
XIV.,  is  a  part  of  the  Canon  Law  and  decrees  that  those 
who  refuse  to  obey  any  "  commands  of  the  Court  of 
Rome,  if  they  be  ecclesiastics,  are  ipso  facto  suspended 
from  their  orders  and  offices ;  and,  if  they  be  laymen, 
are  smitten  with  excommunication." 

The  bull  Unam  Sanctam  of  Boniface  VIII.,  which  is 
also  a  part  of  the  Canon  Law,  and  acknowledged  by 
Cardinal  Manning  as  an  "Article  of  Faith,"  says:  "It 
is  necessary  that  one  sword  should  be  under  another, 
and  that  the  temporal  authority  should  be  subject  to  the 
spiritual  power.  And  thus  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah  is 
fulfilled  in  the  church  and  the  ecclesiastical  power, 
'  Behold,  I  have  set  thee  over  the  kingdoms,  to  root  out, 
and  to  pull  down,  and  to  destroy,  and  to  throw  down,  to 
build  and  to  plant ! '  Therefore,  if  the  earthly  power  go 
astray,  it  must  be  judged  by  the  spiritual  power;  but  if 
the  spiritual  power  go  astray,  it  must  be  judged  by  God 
alone.  Moreover,  we  declare,  say,  define,  and  pronounce 
it  to  be  altogether  necessary  to  salvation  that  every 
human  creature  should  be  subject  to  the  Roman  Pon- 
tiff." ^    Bishop  Gilmour,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  his  Lenten 


Corpus  Juris  Canonici,  Leipsic  edition.  18.39,  torn,  li.,  p.  1159. 


04  rKuiJ.s. — liu.MA  N  is\i. 

Letter,  Mai-eh,  IS?.'),  said:  "  Ntitionalities  must  be  subor- 
dinate to  religion,  and  we  must  learn  that  we  are  Cath- 
olics first  and  citizens  next.  God  is  above  man,  and  the 
church  above  the  state. " 

;  Here  is  a  distinct  issue  touching  the  highest  allegiance 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  citizens  of  the  United  States, 
whether  it  is  due  to  the  Pope  or  to  the  constitution  and 
the  laws  of  the  land.  Jin  his  Syllabus  of  Errors,  Proposi- 
tion 42,  issued  December  8, 18G4,  Pius  IX.  said:  "'  It  is  an 
error  to  hold  that.  In  the  case  of  conflicting  laws  be- 
tween the  two  powers,  the  civil  law  ought  to  prevail,  "i 
The  reigning  pontirt",  in  an  encyclical  issued  January  10, 
1890,  says:  "  It  is  wrong  to  break  the  law  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  order  to  obey  tlie  magistrate,  or  under  pretence  of  civil 
rights  to  transgress  the  laws  of  the  church."'^  Again 
Leo  XIII.  says:  "  But  if  the  laws  of  the  state  are  openly 
at  variance  with  the  law  of  God— if  they  inflict  injury 

upon  the  church or  set  at  naught  the  authority  of 

Jesus  Christ  which  is  vested  in  the  Supreme  Pontiff, 
then  indeed  it  becomes  a  duty  to  resist  them,  a  sin  to 
render  obedience. "  ^ 

(We  must  not  imagine  that  the  two  spheres,  religious 
and  secular,  ai-e  so  distinct  as  to  prevent  all  conflict  of 
authorities.']  Why  does  Pius  IX.  say  that  it  is  an  error 
to  hold  that,  "In  the  case  of  conflicting  laws  between 
the  two  poAvers,  the  civil  law  ought  to  prevail,"  unless 
there  is  some  possibility  of  conflict?  Says  Mr.  Gladstone :  * 
"Even  in  the  United  States,  where  the  severance  be- 
tween church  and  state  is  supposed  to  be  complete,  a 
long  catalogue  might  be  drawn  of  subjects  belonging  to 
the  domain  and  competency  of  the  State,  but  also  unde- 
niably affecting  the  government  of  the  Church ;  such  as, 
by  way  of  example,  marriage,  burial,  education,  pi-ison 
discipline,  blasphemy,  poor-relief,  incorporation,  moi-t- 


See  also  Apostolic  Letter,  Ad  Apostoliciv.  Aiiff\ist  '-K,  IS.")! 

Aiitlidiizpil  Traiisl.aiion  of  Encyclical,  p.  3. 

Ibi.l.  p.  4. 

Vatican  Decrees.  Ilariier  X'  Brotliers,  1S7.").  p.  .30. 


PiaULS. — UOMAXISM. 


65 


main  religious  endowments,  vows  of  celibacy,  and 
obedience."  The  Pope  might  declare  that  any  or  all  of 
these  are  "'things  which  belong  to  faith  and  morals"  or 
"that  pertain  to  the  discipline  and  government  of  the 
church  "  over  which  matters  the  Vatican  Council  de- 
creed him  to  be  possessed  of  "  all  the  fulness  of  supreme 

power."  ^  ,    ^  _ 

The  word  "morals  "  is  quite  broad  enough  to  overlap 
politics.  Cardinal  Manning  says:^  "Why  should  the 
Holy  Father  touch  any  matter  in  politics  at  all?  For 
this  plain  reason,  because  politics  are  a  part  of  morals. 
Politics  are  morals  on  the  widest  scale."  Leo 
XIII.  in  his  encyclical  of  January  10,  1890,  declares  that 
''politics  .  are  inseparahlij  hound  up  tvith  the  laivs 

of  morality  and  religious  duties:''  This  declaration  is 
ex  cathedra  and,  therefore,  "  infallible,"  the  end  of  con- 
troversy to  all  good  Roman  Catholics,  ijt  renders  every 
utterance  which  the  Pope  may  hereafter  make  concern- 
ing politics  absolutely  binding  on  the  conscience  of 
every  Romanist,  at  the  peril  of  salvation.  This  is  per- 
haps the  most  important  word  that  has  conie  from  Rome 
since  1870  when  the  Vatican  Council  "  put  the  top-stone 
tx)  the  pyramid  of  the  Roman  hierarchy."  Not  that 
papal  interference  in  politics  is  anything  new  in  doc- 
trine* or  practice,  but  it  has  often  been  denied,  and 
Roman  Catholics  commonly  profess  entire  loyalty  both 
to  the  civil  power  and  to  the  Pope,  thus  implying  that 
the  two  spheres,  secular  and  religious,  are  quite  distinct ; 
while  moderate  Romanists  have  sometimes  expressly 
said:  "We  will  take  our  religion  but  not  our  politics 
from  Rome."  It  is,  therefore,  of  the  highest  importance 
that  we  have  here  a  perfectly  clear  and  irreversible 
declaration,  which  no  good  Roman  Catholic  will  dispute. 


1  See  The  First  Dogmatic  Constitution  of  the  Church    of  Christ,  Chap. 

III. 

I  Ecclesiastical  Sennons,  Vol.  III.  p.  83. 

3  Tlie  Pilot,  Boston,  February  15,  1890. 

4  See  Syllabus  of  Errors  of  Pius  IX.,' December  8,  1864,  Proposition  No. 
37.    Allocution  Maxima  quidem,  June  9, 1862. 


66  PERILS. — KOMANISM. 

that  politics  is  not  possibly  or  iiicideittalli/  hnt  ''insep- 
arably,'' bound  up  with  niorahty  and  rehgiun.  That  is, 
the  connection  between  the  two  spheres  is  necessary,  and 
the  Pope  has  "  full  and  supreme  power  "  over  politics  as 
one  of  the  "  things  which  belong  to  faith  and  morals;"- 
and  he  who  denies  this  must  rest  under  the  "anathema 
sit''  of  the  Vatican  Council.^ 

Said  Vicar-General  Preston,  in  a  sermon  preached 
in  New  York,  January  1,  1888,  "Every  word  that  Leo 
speaks  from  his  high  chair  is  the  voice  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  must  be  obeyed.  To  every  Catholic  heart 
comes  no  thought  but  obedience.  It  is  said  that  politics 
is  not  within  the  province  of  the  church,  and  that  Ihe 
church  has  only  jurisdiction  in  matters  of  faith.  Yt)U 
say,  'I  will  receive  my  faith  from  the  Pontiff,  but 
I  will  not  receive  my  politics  I'nnn  liim.'  This 
assertion  is  disloyal  and  untruth lul.  .  .  .  You  must 
not  think  as  you  choose;  you  must  think  as  Catholics. 
The  man  who  says,  '  1  will  take  my  faith  from  Peter,  but 
I  will  not  take  my  politics  from  Petei','  is  not  a  ti-ue 
Catholic.  The  Church  teaches  that  the  supreme  Pon- 
tiff must  be  obeyed,  because  he  is  the  vicar  of  the 
liOrd.  Christ  speaks  through  him."  Th(>  claims  of 
the  Ultramontanes  are  quite  logical.  Christ  is  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  His  riglit  to  rule  is  absolute 
and  his  authority  unlimited.  If,  now,  Christ  has  a  vice- 
gerent on  earth,  if  there  is  a  vicar  of  God  among  men, 
his  sovereignty  is  absolute,  his  authority  vmlimited. 
The  Roman  Catholic  nuist,  as  Leo  XIII.  says,-  render 
as  "perfect  submission  and  obedience  of  will  to  the 
C!hurch  and  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  as  TO  God  HIMSELF." 
lie  who  would  divide  the  authority  of  the  Pope,  accept  a 
part  and  reject  a  part,  is  as  i)oor  a  Romanist  as  he  is 
logician.  If,  then,  as  Vicar-General  Preston  says,  such 
a  man  "is  not  a  true  Catholic,  "  how  can  a  "  true  Catho- 


'  See  the  First  Dogmatic  ('oiistiliitii.n  nf  (lie  Cliiircli  of  C'lirist,  Clinpler 
III. 
2  The  Pilot,  Boston,  February  l.'i,  IHW. 


PBIULS.  —  ROMANISM.  67 

lie  "be a  loyal  citizen?  He  can  he  such  only  until  some 
issue  arises  which  compels  him  to  choose  between  the 
two  masters.  And  as  an  eminent  writer  has  said :  ^  "  We 
can  scarce  hope  that  the  time  will  not  come  when  our 
Catholic  fellow  citizens  will  be  put  to  the  strain  of  elect- 
ing between  the  allegiance  due  to  the  state  and  that  due 
to  the  church." 

Cardinal  Manning  in  his  reply  to  Mr.  Gladstone  says : 
"That  the  civil  allegiance  of  no  man  is  unlimited,  and 
therefore  the  civil  allegiance  of  all  men  who  believe  in 
God,  or  are  governed  by  conscience,  is  in  that  sense 
divided.  In  this  sense,  and  in  no  other,  can  it  be  said 
with  truth  that  the  civil  allegiance  of  Catholics  is 
divided."'^  This  is  the  best  answer  that  can  be  made, 
but  it  is  not  adequate.  Of  course  the  civil  allegiance  of 
no  man  is  absolutely  unlimited.  If  divine  and  hinnan 
laws  are  in  conflict,  "  we  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than 
man."  [But  just  here  appears  the  radical  difference 
betweerTa  Roman  Catholic  and  a  Protestant.  The  latter 
accepts  the  will  of  God,  revealed  in  the  Bible  and  in  his 
own  conscience,  as  interpreted  by  himself.  If  the 
requirements  of  government  are  inconsistent  with  the 
Word  of  God  (which  is  scarcely  possible  with  our  consti- 
tutional guarantees  of  religious  liberty),  or  if  he  believes 
that  they  are,  his  understanding  may  be  informed,  his 
conscience  may  be  enlightened,  he  is  at  liberty  to  change 
his  views.  And  even  if  he  does  not,  he  stands  alone, 
and  cannot  possibly  be  a  menace  to  the  peace  of  society. 

The  Romanist,  on  the  other  hand,  accepts  the  will  of 
God,  as  interpreted  by  the  Pope,  who,  as  we  have  seen, 
claims  that  his  sphere  of  authority  is  "inseparably 
bound  up"  with  that  of  the  civil  government  and  who, 
therefore,  cannot  be  disinterested. )  If  now,  the  require- 
ments of  government  are  inconsistent  with  the  will  of 
the  Pope,  the  Roman  Catholic  is  not  at  liberty  to  weigh 
the  Pope's  judgment,  to  try  his  commands  by  his  own 


1  Henry  Charles  Lea,  in  The  Forum,  February,  1890. 
«  The  Vatican  Decrees,  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  1874,  p.  76. 


08  I'KKII.S. — ROMAN  ISM. 

conscience  and  the  Word  of  God — to  do  this  would  lie 
to  become  a  Protestant.  ,_There  can  be  no  appeal'  to  his 
reason  or  conscience,  the  decision  is  final  and  his  duty 
absolute.  And,  moreover,  he  stands  not  alone,  but  Avith 
many  millions  more,  who  are  bound  by  the  most  dread- 
ful penalties  to  act  as  one  man  in  obedience  to  tlie  Avill  of 
a  foreign  potentate  and  in  disregard  of  the  laws  of  the 
land.  This,  I  claim,  is  a  very  possible  menace  to  the 
peace  of  society.] 

If  it  seems  to  any  that  I  have  exaggerated  the  sur- 
render of  reason  and  conscience  required  of  a  good 
Roman  Catholic,  weigh  these  words  of  Cardinal  Bellar- 
mine,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  theologians  of  the 
Koman  Church:  "If  the  Pope  should  err  by  enjoining 
vices  or  forbidding  virtues,  the  Church  would  be  obliged 
to  believe  vices  to  be  good  and  virtues  bad,  unless  it 
Avould  sin  against  conscience."  ^ 

The  revised  Statutes  of  the  United  States  declare: — 
"  llie  alien  seeking  citizenslii}^  must  make  oath  to  re- 
nounce forever  all  allegiance  and  fidelity  to  any  foreign 
priiice,  potentate,  state  or  sovereignty,  in  particular  that 


'  Bellarmine,  Lib.  4,  de  Pontittce,  c.  5.  Bishop  Kain,  of  Wheeling,  West 
Virginia,  devoted  his  Lenten  lecture,  April  14,  1889,  to  Chapter  V.  of  "  Our 
Country."  In  it  he  said  that  Bellarmine  was  here  using  the  argument 
rrrlnctio  ad  (thmrdum  to  prove  the  inerrancy  of  the  Pope,  and  that  he, 
(Hcllarniine)  "draws  the  absurd  and  even  blasphemous  conclusion  that 
would  rtsult  from  such  a  denial  of  his  thesis."  Does  the  Bishop  forget  that 
the  whole  force  of  a  reductio  ad  absurdum  lies  in  the  necessity  of  the  se- 
(juence?  Of  course  the  absurdity  of  the  conclusion  does  not  prove  the  ab- 
surdity of  the  premise  unless  the  one  follows  necessarily  from  the  other. 
Tlie  argument  of  Bellarmine  has  no  force  with  a  Protestant  because  he  sees 
that  the  declared  sequence  is  not  only  not  necessary,  but  is  impo.ssible.  The 
fact  that  such  an  argument  can  have  weight  with  a  Catholic,  the  fact 
that  Bellarmine  could  use  it,  shows  that  in  such  minds  the  sequence 
is  necessary,  which,  as  was  remarked  in  the  First  Edition,  affords  a  most 
e.xcellent  illustration  of  the  "  utter  degradation  of  reason,  and  the  stilling  of 
conscience." 

The  writer  did  not  imagine  that  good  Catholics  would  believe  the  Pope 
cajmble  of  error  and,  therefore,  fear  that  they  might  some  day  be  "obliged 
to  believe  vices  to  be  good  and  virtues  bad."  The  point  of  the  quotation, 
which  is  missed  by  Bishop  Kain,  lies  in  tlie  sequence  which  is  afflrmed  by 
Bellarmine. 


PERILS. — ROMAXISM.  69 

to  which  he  has  been  subject."  The  Roman  Cathohc 
profession  of  faith,  having  the  sanction  of  the  Council 
which  met  at  Baltimore  in  1884,  contains  the  following 
oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Pope:— "  And  I  pledge  and  swear 
true  obedience  to  the  Roman  Pontiff,  vicar  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  successor  of  the  blessed  Peter,  prince  of  the 
Apostles."  ^  We  have  already  seen  how  broad  is  the 
obligation  which  the  oath  lays  on  the  Romanists.  Here, 
then,  are  men  who  have  sworn  allegiance  to  two  different 
powers,  each  claiming  to  be  supreme,  whose  spheres  of  au- 
thority are  "inseparably"  bound  together  and  which, 
therefore,  afford  abundant  opportunity  for  the  rise  of 
conflicting  interests  and  irreconcilable  requirements. 

By  way  of  throwing  light  on  such  a  situation,  it  is  in- 
teresting to  read  in  the  Canon  Law:  "No  oaths  are  to 
be  kept  if  they  are  against  the  interests  of  the  Church  of 
Rome."  2  And  again:  "Oaths  which  are  against  the 
Church  of  Rome,  are  not  to  be  called  oaths,  but  per- 
juries." ^  An  American  ecclesiastic.  Bishop  English,  of 
Charleston,  S.  C,  quotes  this  canon,  and  defending  it 
says:  "These  are  the  principles  which  I  have  been 
taught  from  Roman  Catholic  authors,  by  Roman  Cath- 
olic professors ;  they  are  the  principles  Avhich  I  find  i-ec- 
ognized  in  all  enactments  and  interpretations  of  councils 
in  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  from  the  Council  at  Je- 
rusalem, held  by  the  Apostles,  down  to  the  present 
day."  *  In  a  work  prepared  by  Rev.  F.  X.  Schouppe  for 
Roman  Catholic  schools  and  colleges  and  bearing  the 
imprimatur  of  Cardinal  Manning,  we  read  (p.  278), 
"  The  civil  laws  are  binding  on  the  conscience  only  so 
long  as  they  are  conformable  to  the  rights  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church." 
[when  a  man  has  placed  his  conscience  and  will  in  the 


1  "  Romanoque  Poniifici,  beati  Petri  Apostolorum  Principis  snccessori  ac 
Jesu  Christi  vicario  veram  obedientiani  spondeo  ac  juro.'"  Acta  et  De- 
creta  Concilii  Baltiiuoreiisis  III.,     p.  liii.  (Baltimore,  1886). 

*  Corpii.'i  Juris  Canonici,  Leipsic  edition,  1839,  torn,  ii.,  p.  1159. 

=  IbiJ.  p.  Sa8. 

■•  Lftterx  Concerning  the  Roman  Chancer)/,  p.  158. 


70  PERILS.— ROMAN  ISM. 

keeping  of  another  for  life,  and  on  pain  of  eternal  dam- 
nation, how  can  he  make  unconditional  pledges  touching 
anything  ?  Or,  having  made  them,  how  can  they  be  of 
any  value,  if  he  accepts  such  doctrine  as  the  above?  Is 
his  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  government  wortliy  of 
respectjj  Ought  we  not  to  place  the  same  estimate  on  it 
that  Cardinal  Newman  did  when  he  said  that  no  pledge 
from  Catholics  was  of  any  value  to  which  Rome  was  not 
a  party  ?  ^ 

The  two  greatest  living  statesmen,  Gladstone  and  Bis- 
marck, hold  that  the  allegiance  demanded  by  the  Pope  is 
inconsistent  with  good  citizenship.  Says  the  former: 
"  — -  the  Pope  demands  for  himself  the  right  to  determine 
the  province  of  his  own  rights,  and  has  so  defined  it  in 
formal  documents  as  to  warrant  any  and  every  invasion 
of  the  civil  sphere;  and  that  this  new  version  of  the 
principles  of  the  Papal  church  inexorably  binds  its 
members  to  the  admission  of  these  exorbitant  claims, 
without  any  refuge  or  reservation  on  behalf  of  their 
duty  to  the  Crown."  •^  He  also  says:  "That  Rome  re- 
quires a  convert  who  now  joins  her  to  forfeit  his  moral 
and  mental  freedom,  and  to  place  his  loyalty  and  civil 
duty  at  the  mercy  of  another."  ^ 

The  constitution  of  the  United  States  guarantees  Lib- 
erty of  Conscience.  Nothing  is  dearer  or  more  funda- 
mental. The  first  amendment  to  the  constitution  says: 
"  Co7igress  sliall  make  no  latv  respecting  an  establish- 
ment of  religion  oi-  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof.'''' 
Pius  IX.  declared  it  to  be  an  error  that,  "  Every  man  is 
free  to  embrace  and  profess  the  religion  he  shall  believe 
true,  guided  by  the  light  of  reason."*  And  from  this 
dictum  no  good  Roman  Catholic  can  differ.  The  same 
Pope  ill  his  encychcal  of  December  S,  18G4,  said:  "  Con- 


1  Dr.  John  H.  Ni-wiimirs  H.-pIy  to  Mr.  W.  E.  (ila,l«tniii'.  187.".,  p.  14. 

2  Vatican  Dt-civcs,  Ilivrpi'r  &  Hrothers,  IST.'i,  p.  'M. 
■'  11)1(1.     Third  IVoposition. 

■•  Syllabus   of   Knors,   l)i><'('iiil)er  8.  1804.  Propo.silion   No.  V>.     AUocntioii 
J»/(i.riwf(f/i(/f?rm,.Iniif!t.  1K(«. 


PERILS. — ROMANISM.  7l 

trary  to  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  of  the 
Church,  and  of  the  Holy  Fathers,  these  persons  do  not 
hesitate  to  assert  that  '  the  best  condition  of  human 
society  is  that  wherein  no  duty  is  recognized  by  the  gov- 
ernment of  correcting  by  enacted  penalties  the  violators 
of  the  Catholic  Religion,  except  when  the  maintenance 
of  the  public  peace  requires  it.'  From  this  totally  false 
notion  of  social  government,  they  fear  not  to  uphold 
that  erroneous  opinion  most  pernicious  to  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  to  the  salvation  of  souls,  which  was  called 
by  our  predecessor,  Gregory  XVI. ,  the  insanity  (delira- 
mentum),  namely,  that  'liberty  of  conscience  and  of 
worship  is  the  right  of  every  man ;  and  that  this  right 
ought,  in  every  well-governed  state,  to  be  proclaimed 
and  asserted  by  the  law.'"  Much  more  to  the  same 
effect  might  be  quoted  from  Pius  IX.  and  Leo  XIII. 

"  When,  in  May,  1851,  New  Granada  proclaimed  religi- 
ous tolei'ation  and  subjected  the  clergy  to  the  secular 
courts,  Pius  IX.,  in  the  allocution  '  Acerbissimum,'  of 
September  27,  1852,  pronounced  the  laws  to  be  null  and 
void,  and  threatened  heavy  ecclesiastical  penalties  on  all 

who  should  dare  to  enforce    them When,   in 

1855,  Mexico  adopted  a  constitution  embodying  the 
same  principles,  Pius,  in  the  allocution  '' Nunquam  fore,'' 
December  15,  1856,  annulled  the  Constitution  and  for- 
bade obedience  to  it.  When,  about  the  same  time  Spain 
made  an  effort  in  the  same  direction,  the  allocution 
^  Nemo  vestruni,'  of  July  21,  1855,  similarly  abrogated 
the  obnoxious  provisions.  Even  a  powerful  empire  like 
that  of  Austria  fared  no  better  when,  in  Deceinber, 
1867,  it  decreed  liberty  of  conscience  and  of  the  pi*ess, 
and  in  May,  1868,  adopted  a  law  of  civil  marriage ;  for 
the  allocution  'Nunquam  certe\  of  June  22,  1868, 
denounced  all  these  as  atrocious  laws,  and  declared 
them  to  be  void  and  of  no  effect."  i  And  all  this,  be  it 
remembered,  transpired  in  modern  times. 

In  "Essays  on  Religion  and  Literature,"  edited  by  Car- 

1  Henry  Charles  Lea,  Furum,  February,  1800,  pp.  C30,  C.3L 


72  PERILS. — IIO-MANISM. 

dinal  Manning  ^  we  read :  ' '  That  neither  the  church  nor 
the  state,  whensoever  they  are  united  on  the  tnie  basis 

of  divine  right,  have  any  cognizance  of  tolerance 

The  Church  (of  course  the  Koman  Church)  has  the  right 
in  virtue  of  her  divine  commission,  to  require  of  every 
one  to  accept  her  doctrine.  Whosoever  obstinately 
refuses,  or  obstinately  insists  upon  the  election  out  of  it 
of  what  is  pleasing  to  himself  is  against  her.  But  were 
the  Church  to  tolerate  such  an  opponent,  she  must 
tolerate  another.  If  she  tolerate  one  sect,  she  must  toler- 
ate every  sect,  and  thereby  give  herself  up."  For  the 
Roman  Church  to  grant  liberty  of  conscience  would  be, 
as  is  here  said,  to  "give  herself  up."  What  that  high 
American  Roman  Catholic  authority,  Dr.  O.  A.  Brown- 
son,  says  is  quite  too  true;  viz.:  '"Protestantism  of 
everj'  form  lias  not,  and  never  can  have  any  right  where 
Catholicity  is  ti-iumphant."-  (An  odd  kind  of  catho- 
licity, isn't  it?)  Again  he  says:  "  Heresj^  (that  is,  any 
doctrine  in  conflict  with  Romanism)  and  infidelity  have 
not,  and  never  had,  and  never  can  have,  any  right, 
being,  as  they  undeniably  are,  contrary  to  the  law  of 
God."  3 

In  the  rontificale  Rojnanwn^  is  the  bishop's  oath,  in 
which  occur  these  words:  ''Heretics,  schismatics  and 
rebels  against  our  said  Lord  or  his  successors  I  will  tc 
my  utmost  persecute  (persequar)  and  oppose."    What  it 


»  Longniaiis,  1867,  p.  403. 

'  Brownson's  Catholic  Revien:  June.  18.')7. 

3  Brownson's  Qtiartcrli/,  January,  1*52. 

*  This  is  a  book  on  rites  and  ceremonies,  issued  by  order  of  Clement  VIII. 
and  Urban  VIII.  Tliis  form  of  tlie  bisliop's  oath  is  quoted  from  the  edition 
printed  in  Mechlin,  184.").  In  it  \vc  find  this  Papal  utterance:  "  We  com- 
mand this  our  Pontifical,  so  restored  and  reformed,  to  be  received  and 
observed  in  all  churches  of  the  whole  irorld;  (Ircrcciuf/  that  the  aforesaid 
Pontifical  miist  never,  at  any  time,  he  altered  in  whole  or  in  part,  nor 
anything  at  all  he  added  to,  or  detracted  from,  the  satne."  Bishop  Kain  of 
Wheeling,  if  correctly  reported  by  the  press,  states  that  the  word  persequar, 
is  now  omitted  by  American  bishops  when  taking  the  oath.  How  much 
weight  should  be  allowed  to  this  statement  when  we  set  over  against  it  the 
above  "infallible"  and  irruvocable  roniiiiaiid  of  a  Supreme  PoiilifT,  the 
reader  can  judge  as  well  as  I. 


PERILS,  — ROM  AXISM.  73 

Methodist  and  Episcopal  bishops  took  an  oath  to  perse- 
cute Roman  Cathohcs  and  all  others  who  refuse  to 
accept  the  standards  of  their  respective  churches!  If 
Romanists  were  persecuted  in  Protestant  countries, 
would  they  not  demand  the  religious  liberty  for  them- 
selves whicli  they  refuse  to  others?  Their  policy  is  very 
franklj'  stated  by  M.  Louis  Venillot,  a  distinguished 
French  Roman  Catholic  writer,  highly  esteemed  at 
Rome,  ^\\\o  says :  ' '  When  there  is  a  Protestant  majority 
we  claim  religious  liberty  because  such  is  their  princi- 
ple ;  but  when  we  are  in  majority  we  refuse  it  because 
that  is  ours.'' 

Another  of  our  principles  closely  related  to  that  of  re- 
ligious liberty  is  Freedom  of  Speech  and  of  the  Press, 
which  is  guaranteed  to  us  by  the  First  Amendment  to 
the  Constitution.  "  Congress  shall  make  no  latv  .... 
abridging  the  freedom  of  speech  or  of  the  press.'''  Leo 
XIII.,  in  a  letter,  June  17,  1885,  said,  "Such  a  duty  (obed- 
ience), while  incumbent  upon  all  without  exception,  is 
most  strictly  so  on  journalists  who,  if  they  were  not  an- 
imated with  the  spirit  of  docility  and  submission  so 
necessary  to  every  Catholic,  would  help  to  extend  and 
greatly  aggravate  the  evils  we  deplore."  A  writer  for 
the  Ca^/io//c  TFor/d  1  in  an  article  entitled  "The  Catho- 
lics of  the  Nineteenth  Century,"  shows  us  what  would 
become  of  free  speech  and  the  freedom  of  the  press  in  the 
event  of  Roman  ascendency  in  the  United  States.  He 
says:  "  The  supremacy  asserted  for  the  Church  in  mat- 
ters of  education  implies  the  additional  and  cognate 
function  of  the  censorship  of  ideas,  and  the  right  to  ex- 
amine and  approve  or  disapprove  all  books,  publications, 
writings  and  utterances  intended  for  public  instruction, 
enlightenment,  or  entertainment,  and  the  supervision  of 
places  of  amusement.  This  is  the  principle  upon  which 
the  Church  has  acted  in  handing  over  to  the  civil  au- 
thorities for  punishment  criminals  in  the  world  of 
ideas." 

•July.  1870. 


74  PERILS.— rvOM  A  XISM. 

Again,  none  of  our  fundamental  principles  is  more 
distinctly  American  than  that  of  the  Complete  Separa- 
tion  of  Clmrch  and  State,  which  is  required  in  the  First 
Amendment  to  tlie  Constitution,  already  quoted.  Pius 
IX.  teaches  the  exact  opposite.  He  says  it  is  an  error  to 
hold  that,  ' '  The  Church  ought  to  be  separated  from  the 
State,  and  the  State  from  the  Church."  i  He  also  de- 
clares it  to  be  an  error  that,  "  The  Church  has  not  the 
power  of  availing  herself  of  force,  or  any  direct  or  in- 
direct temporal  power."  - 

Another  foundation  stone  of  our  free  institutions  is  the 
Public  School,  of  which  the  state  has  and  should  have 
the  entire  direction  without  any  ecclesiastical  interfer- 
ence whatever.  Touching  this  point,  Pius  IX.  says  it  is 
an  error  to  hold  that,  "  The  entire  direction  of  public 
schools  ....  may  and  must  appertain  to  the  civil 
power,  and  belong  to  it  so  far  that  no  other  authority 
whatsoever  shall  be  recognized  as  having  any  right  to 
interfere  in  the  discipline  of  the  schools,  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  studies  ....  or  the  choice  and  approval  of 
teachers. "  »  And  again  the  same  Pope :  It  is  an  error 
that,  ' '  The  best  theory  of  civil  society  requires  that  pop- 
ular schools  ....  should  be  freed  from  all  ecclesiastical 
authority,  government,  and  interference,  and  sh(Hild  be 
fully  subject  to  the  civil  and  political  power,  in  conform- 
ity with  the  will  of  rulers  and  the  prevalent  opinions  of 
the  age. "  *  Again  he  says :  It  is  an  error,  that,  ' '  This  sys- 
tem of  instructing  youth,  which  consists  in  separating  it 
from  the  Catholic  faith  and  from  the  power  of  the 
church  ....  may  be  approved  by  Catholics  ."^   Bishop 


1  Syllabus  of  Errors,  December  8,  18C4,  Proposition  No.  55.,  Allocution 
Acerbissimum,  September  87,  1858. 

»  Ibid.  Proposition  No.  34.  Apostolic  Letter,  Ad  apostolical,  August  22, 
ia51. 

3  Ibid.    Proposition  No.  45.    Allocution,  In  Con.tixtnrinli,  JHovemher  1,  1850. 

<  Ibid.  Proposition  No.  47.  Letter  to  tlie  Arclibisliop  of  Fribourg,  yinim 
non  sine,  July  14,  IHlil. 

'Diid.  Proposition  No.  48.  Lctti-r  to  tlie  Arcliliisliop  of  Fribonru'.  <,>""»i 
non  sine,  July  14,  18(il. 


PERILS. — ROMANISM.  75 

McQuaid  in  a  lecture  at  Horticultural  Hall,  Boston, 
February  13,  1876,  declared:  "The  state  has  no 
right  to  educate,  and  when  the  state  undertakes  the 
work  of  education  it  is  usurping  the  powers  of  the 
church." 

If  there  remains  in  any  mind  a  lingering  doubt  as  to 
the  irreconcilable  hostility  of  the  Roman  hierarchy 
"toward  our  public  school  system  it  would  be  dissipated 
by  reading,  "The  Judges  of  Faith  vs.  Godless  Schools," 
a  little  book  written  by  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  and 
"  Addressed  to  Catholic  Parents."  It  bears  the  indorse- 
ments of  Cardinals  Gibbons  and  Newman,  and  of  various 
dignitaries  of  that  church.  The  prefatory  note  states  that 
the  book  contains,  "the  conciliar  or  single  rulings  of  no  less 
than  three  hundred  and  eighty  of  the  high  and  highest 
church  dignitaries.  Thei'e  are  brought  forward,  twenty- 
one  plenary  and  provincial  councils ;  six  or  seven  dioce- 
san synods;  two  Roman  pontiffs;  two  sacred  congrega- 
tions of  some  tAventy  cardinals  and  pontifical  officials; 
seven  single  cardinals,  Avho  with  thirty-three  archbish- 
ops, make  forty  primates  and  metropolitans;  finally, 
nearly  eighty  single  bishops  and  archbishops,  deceased 
or  living,  in  the  United  States. "  All  this  mass  of  author- 
ity is  against  our  public  schools;  and  the  animus  of  these 
ecclesiastics  toward  this  cherished  institution  is  indi- 
cated by  such  epithets  and  appellations  as  the  following: 
"mischievous,"  "baneful  to  society,"  "  a  social  plague/' 
"Godless,"  "pestilential,"  "scandalous,"  "filthy,"  "vi- 
cious," "diabolical,"  places  of  " unrestrained  immoral- 
ity," where  things  are  done  the  recital  of  Avhich  would 
"  curdle  the  blood  in  your  veins." 

Rome  has  never  favored  popular  education.  In  Prot- 
estant countries  like  Germany  and  the  United  States, 
where  there  is  a  strong  sentiment  in  favor  of  it,  she  has 
been  compelled  in  self-defence  to  open  schools  of  her  own. 
But  her  real  attitude  toward  the  education  of  the  masses 
should  be  inferred  from  her  course  in  those  countries 
where  she  has,  or  has  had,  undisputed  sway ;  and  thei-e 
she  has  kept  the  people  in  besotted  ignorance.     "  The 


76  PElilLS. — ROMANISM. 

Cyclopedia  of  Education  "'  ^  1877,  in  its  article  on  Illiter- 
acy, gives  a  table  containing  the  statistics  of  thirty  coun- 
tries. Of  these,  five  arc  starred  as  ' '  nearly  free  from  il- 
literacy," and  all  of  them  are  Protestant.  Tlie  highest 
percentage  of  illiteracy  given  for  any  Protestant  coun- 
try in  the  world  is  thirty-three.  In  all  those  countries 
where  fifty  per  cent,  or  more  are  illiterate  the  religion  is 
Roman  Catholic,  Greek  or  heathen,  viz. :  Argentine  Re- 
public, eighty-three  per  cent. ;  China,  fifty  per  cent. ; 
Greece,  eighty-two  per  cent. ;  Hungary,  fifty-one;  India, 
ninety-five;  Italy,  seventy -three ;  Mexico,  ninety -three ; 
Poland,  ninety-one;  Russia,  ninetj'-one;  Spain,  eighty. 
Here,  six  Roman  Catholic  countries,  including  Italy,  the 
home  of  the  Pope,  where  until  recent  years,  the  church 
has  had  undisputed  sway,  are  far  more  illiterate  than 
heathen  China.  Touching  the  education  of  the  masses 
— except  in  Protestant  countries  as  explained  above — 
we  are  forced  to  infer  either  the  indifference  or  the  in- 
competence of  the  Church  of  Rome. 

We  liave  made  a  brief  comparison  of  some  of  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  Romanism  with  those  of  the 
Republic.     And, 

1.  We  have  seen  the  supreme  sovor(>ignty  of  the  Pope 
opposed  to  the  sovereignty  of  the  people. 

2.  We  have  seen  that  the  commands  of  the  Pope,  instead 
of  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  land,  demand  the  high- 
est allegiance  of  Roman  Catholics  in  the  United  States. 

3.  Wo  have  seen  that  the  alien  Romanist  who  seeks 
citizenship  swears  true  obedience  to  the  Po])e  instead  of 
"  renouncing  forever  all  allegiance  to  any  foreign  prince, 
potentate,  state  or  sovereignty,"  as  required  by  our  laws. 

4.  We  have  seen  that  Romanism  teaches  religious  in- 
tolerance instead  of  religious  liberty. 

5.  We  have  seen  that  Rome  demands  the  censorsliip  of 
ideas  and  of  the  press,  instead  of  the  freedom  of  the 
press  and  of  speech. 


1  Edited  by  Il.'iiry  Kiddle  and  AlfxaiKUT  .T.   Solicin,   Siiporintondpnt  and 
Assistant  Superintendent  of  Public  Scboois,  New  Vol  U  Cily. 


PERILS. — RO^r.VXI.S.M.  77 

6.  We  have  seen  that  she  approves  the  union  of 
church  and  state  instead  of  their  entire  separation. 

7.  We  have  seen  that  she  is  opposed  to  our  pubhc 
school  system. 

Manifestly  there  is  an  iri-econcilahle  difference  be- 
tween papal  principles  and  the  fundamental  principles 
of  our  free  institutions.  Popular  government  is  self- 
government.  A  nation  is  capable  of  self-government 
only  so  far  as  the  individuals  who  compose  it  are  capable 
of  self-government.  To  place  one's  conscience,  there- 
fore, in  the  keeping  of  another,  and  to  disavow  all  per- 
sonal responsibility  in  obeying  the  dictation  of  another, 
is  as  far  as  possible  fi'om  se//-government,  and,  there- 
fore, wholly  inconsistent  with  republican  institutions, 
and,  if  sufficiently  common,  dangerous  to  their  stability. 
It  is  the  theory  of  absolutism  in  the  state,  that  man  ex- 
ists for  the  state.  It  is  the  theory  of  absolutism  in  the 
church  that  man  exists  for  the  church.  But  in  republi- 
can and  Protestant  America  it  is  believed  that  church 
and  state  exist  for  the  people  and  are  to  be  administered 
by  them.  ^  Our  fundamental  ideas  of  society,  therefore, 
are  as  radically  opposed  to  Vaticanism  as  to  imperialism, 
and  it  is  as  inconsistent  wnth  our  liberties  for  Americans 
to  yield  allegiance  to  the  Pope  as  to  the  Czar.  I  It  is  true 
the  Third  Plenary  Council  in  Baltimore  denied  that 
there  is  any  antagonism  between  the  laws,  institutions 
and  spirit  of  the  Roman  church  and  those  of  our  coun- 
try, and  in  so  doing  illustrated  the  French  proverb  that 
"To  deny  is  to  confess."  No  Protestant  church  makes 
any  such  denials. 

History  fully  justifies  the  teaching  of  philosophers 
that  civil  and  political  society  tends  to  take  the 
form  of  religious  society.  Absolutism  in  religion  can- 
not fail  in  time  to  have  an  imdermining  influence 
on  political  equality.  Already  do  we  see  its  baneful 
influence  in  our  large  cities.  It  is  for  the  most  part  the 
voters  who  accept  absolutism  in  their  faith  who  accept 
the  dictation  of  their  petty  political  popes,  and  suffer 
themselves   to  be  led  to  the  polls  like  so  many  sheepT] 


78  I'KIULS. — KOM.VXISM. 

Says  the  eminent  Professor  de  Laveleye:  "To-day  we 
can  prove  to  demonstration  that  wliich  men  of  intellect 
in  the  eighteenth  century  were  only  beginning  to  per- 
ceive. The  decisive  influence  which  forms  of  worship 
bring  to  bear  on  political  life  and  political  economy  had 
not  hitherto  been  apparent.  Now  it  breaks  forth  in  the 
light,  and  is  more  and  more  closely  seen  in  contempo- 
rary events."  "Representative  government  is  the  nat- 
ural govermneiit  of  Protestant  populations.  Despotic 
government  is  the  congenial  government  of  Catholic 
populations."  ^_ 

II.  Look  now  very  briefly  at  the  attitude  or  purpose  of 
Romanism  in  this  country.  In  an  encyclical  letter- 
of  November  7,  18S5,  Leo  XIII.,  as  reported  by  cable 
to  the  Neic  York  Herald,  said:  "We  e.xhort  all 
Catholics  to  devote  careful  attention  to  public  mat- 
tei-s,  and  take  part  in  all  numicipal  afl'airs  and  elec- 
tions, and  all  public  services,  meetings  and  gather- 
ings. All  Catholics  must  make  them.selves  felt  as  active 
elements  in  daily  political  life  in  countries  where  they 
live.  All  Catholics  shoifld  exert  their  power  to  cause 
the  constitutions  of  states  to  be  modeled  on  the  princi- 
ples of  the  true  church."  "If  Catholics  are  idle,"  says 
the  same  pope,  "  the  reins  of  power  will  easily  be  gained 
by  pei"Sons  whose  ojunions  can  surely  afford  little  pros- 
pect of  welfare.  Hence,  Catholics  have  just  reason  to 
enter  into  political  life;  ....  having  in  mind  the  piu'- 
pose  of  introducing  the  wholesome  life-blood  of  Catho- 
lic wisdom  and  virtue  into  the  whole  system  of  the 
state.  All  Catholics  who  are  worthy  of  the  name  nuist 
....  work  to  the  end,  that  every  state  be  made  con- 
formable to  the  Clu-istian  model  we  have  described.'^ 
Tiiat  Catholic  autliority.  Dr.  Brownson.  in  his  Review  for 
July,  1SG4,  ileelared:  "Undoubtedly  it  is  the  ititention  of 


•  Eriiile  de  Ijivi-lcyc's  Prntvstjiniisni  niiil  Caflmlicisin,  in  their  bearing 
upon  the  Litx-rty  niul  Pros|H'rity  of  Nations,  pp.  .'W,  ■'IS. 

»  Encycl.  Leo  XIII..  Nov.-mher,  isai.  QuoI.mI  by  Mtlllor  in  his  Roman  Catho- 
lic C'at«TliiRin,  Familiar  V'-xplanatioii  of  Calliolic  Doctrine,  No.  IV.,  pp. 
850,  351  and  'iov'. 


PERILS.— ROMANISM.  79 

the  Pope  to  possess  this  countiy.  In  this  intention  he  is 
aided  by  the  Jesuits  and  all  the  Catholic  prelates  and 
pi-iests."  And  in  some  cases  expectation  is  as  eager  as 
desire.  Father  Hecker  in  his  last  work/  published  in 
1887,  says:  "The  Catholics  will  out-number,  before  the 
close  of  this  century,  all  other  believers  in  Christianity 
put  together  in  the  republic." 

III.  Many  of  our  Roman  Catholic  fellow  citizens  un- 
doubtedly love  the  country,  and  believe  that  in  seeking 
to  Romanize  it  they  are  serving  its  highest  interests,  but 
when  we  remember,  as  has  been  shown,  that  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  Romanism  are  opposed  to  thosfe  of 
the  Republic,  that  the  difference  between  them  does  not 
a<lmit  of  adjustment,  but  is  diametric  and  utter,  it  be- 
comes evident  that'jt  would  be  impossible  to  ''make 
America  Catholic;'  (which  the  archbishop  of  St.  Paul 
declared  at  the  late  Baltimore  Congress  to  be  the  mis- 
sion of  Roman  Catholics  in  this  country)  ivithout  bring- 
ing tJiP  principles  of  that  church  into  active  conflict  with 
those  of  our  government,  thus  compelling  Roman  Catho- 
lics to  choose  between  them,  and  in  that  event,  every 
Romanist  who  remained  obedient  to  the  Pope,  that  is, 
tcho  continued  to  be  a  Romanist,  icoidd  necessarily 
become  disloyal  to  our  free  institutions: 

IV.  It  is  said,  and  truly,  that  there  are  two  types  of 
Roman  Catholics  in  the  United  States.  They  may  be 
distinguished  as  those  who  are  "more  Catholic  than 
Roman,"  and  those  who  are  more  Roman  than  Catho- 
lic. The  former  have  felt  the  influence  of  modern 
thought,  have  been  liberalized,  and  come  into  a  large 
measure  of  sympathy  with  American  institutions.  Many 
are  disposed  to  think  that  men  of  this  class  will  control 
the  Roman  Church  in  this  country  and  already  talk  of 
an  "American  Catholic  Church."  But  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  an  American  or  ilexican  or  Spanish  Catholic 
Church.  It  is  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  America, 
Mexico  and  Spain,  having  one  and  the  same  head,  whose 

1  The  Church  and  the  Age,  p.  56. 


80  rEIUI.S.— ROMANISM. 

word  is  law,  as  absolute  and  as  uiKiuesiioned  amonp; 
Roman  Catholics  here  as  in  Spain  or  Mexico.  "The 
archbishops  and  bishops  of  the  United  States,  in  Third 
Plenary  Council  assembled,"  in  their  l*astoral  Letter 
"to  their  clergy  and  faithful  people,"  declare:  "We 
glory  that  we  are,  and,  with  God's  blessing,  shall  con- 
tinue to  be,  not  the  American  Church,  nor  the  Church 
in  the  United  States,  nor  a  Church  in  any  other  sense, 
exclusive  or  limited,  but  an  integral  part  of  the  one, 
holy.  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church  of  Jesus  Christ."  i 

The  Roman  Catholics  of  the  United  States  have  repudi- 
ated none  of  the  utterances  of  Leo  XIII.  or  of  Pius  IX., 
nor  have  they  declared  their  political  independence  of 
the  Vatican.  On  the  contrary,  the  most  liberal  leaders 
of  the  church  here  vehemently  affirm  theii-  enthusiastic 
loyalty  to  the  Pope.  The  Pastoral  Letter  issued  by  the 
Third  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore  (December  7,  1884j, 
and  signed  by  Cardinal  Gibbons,  "  In  his  own  name  and 
in  the  name  of  all  the  Fathers,"  says:  "Nor  are  there 
in  the  world  more  devoted  adherents  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  the  See  of  Peter,  and  the  Vicar  of  Christ,  than 
the  Catholics  of  the  United  States."  ^  Says  a  writer  on 
the  recent  Roman  Catholic  Congress  at  Baltimoi-e:  "It 
was  well  that  Masonic  pseudo-Catholics,  com])romisers  of 
the  papal  authority,  persecutors  of  the  clergy,  anti- 
Jesuits,  social  revolutionalists,  legal  robbers  of  church 
property,  lay  educationalists,  anti-clericals,  should  learn 
once  for  all,  that  the  Catholic  laymen  of  America  are 
proud  of  being  pro-papal  icithout  compromise;  that  they 
are  proud  of  the  Jesuits  from  whose  chaste  loins  the 
church  in  the  United  States  drew  its  vigorous  life."  ^ 
This  writer  is  not  quoted  as  a  representative  of  moderate 
Romanism,  but,  as  one  who  very  justly  expresses  the 
sentiment  of  loyalty  to  the  Pope,  which  characterized 

'  Acta  et  Decreta  Concilii  Plenarii  Baltimorensis  Tertii,  p.  Ixxvi. 
(Baltimore,  1886). 

»  Ibid. 

3  .lohn  A.  Mooney  in  American  Catholic  (Quarterly  Keview,  January, 
1890. 


PERILS.— ROMANISM.  81 

the  Baltimore  Congress,  and  whi(!h,  so   far  as  we   can 
judge,  was  shared  by  all  alike. 

It  is  undoubtedly  safe  to  say  that  there  is  not  a  mem- 
ber of  the  hierarchy  in  America,  who  does  not  accept 
the  infallibility  of  the  Pope  and  who  has  not  sworn  to 
obey  him.^  Now  this  dogma  of  papal  infallibility  as 
defined  by  the  Vatican  Council  and  interpreted  by  Pius 
IX.  and  Leo  XIII.  carries  with  it  logically  all  of  the 
fundamental  principles  of  Romanism  which  have  been 
discussed.  Infallibility  is  necessarily  intolerant.!  It  can 
no  more  compromise  with  a  conflicting  opinion  than 
could  a  mathematical  demonstration.  Truth  cannot 
make  concessions  to  error.  Infallibility  represents  abso- 
lute truth.  It  is  as  absolute  as  God  himself,  and  can  no 
more  enter  into  compromise  than  God  can  compromise 
with  sin.  And  if  infallibility  is  as  intolerant  as  the 
truth,  it  is  also  as  authoritative.  Truth  may  be  rejected, 
but  even  on  the  scaffold  it  is  king,  and  has  the  right 
and  always  must  have  the  right  to  rule  absolutely,  to 
control  utterly  every  reasoning  being.  If  I  believed  the 
Pope  to  be  the  infallible  vicar  of  Chx'ist,  I  would  surren- 
der myself  to  him  as  unreservedly  as  to  God  himself. 
How  can  a  true  Rojnan  Catholic  do  otherwise?  A  man 
may  have  breathed  the  air  of  the  nineteenth  century  and 
of  free  America  enough  to  be  out  of  sympathy  with  the 
absolutism  and  intolerance  of  Romanism,  jbut  if  he  ac- 


>  "  Hence,  that  no  one  in  future  may  craftily  pretend  not  to  know  how 
and  whence  to  ascertain  what  the  Churcli  officially  teaches;  above  all,  that 
no  one  may  henceforth  scatter  the  baneful  seeds  of  false  doctrine  with  im- 
punity, under  the  mask  of  an  appeal  from  the  judgment  of  the  Holy  See 
(whether  it  be  to  learned  universities,  or  state  tribunals  or  future  coun- 
cils, particular  or  general,  as  was  done  by  Luther  and  the  Jansenists), 
the  Church  of  the  living  God,  through  the  Fathers  of  the  Vatican 
Council,  has  unequivocally  declared  that  her  authentic  spokesman  is 
the  successor  of  St.  Peter  in  the  Apostolic  See  of  Rome,  and  chat  whatever 
he,  as  Head  of  the  Church,  defines  ex  cathedra  is  part  of  the  Deposit  of 
Faith  intrusted  to  her  keeping  by  Christ,  Our  Lord,  and  hence  is  subject 
to  neither  denial,  doubt  nor  revision,  but  is  to  be  implicitly  received  and 
believed  by  all."     Acta  et  Decreta  Concilii  Baltimorensis  Ti-rtii.  p.  Ixxiii. 

The  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Pope  prescribed  by  this  same  council  has 
already  been  given.     See  p.  CO. 


82  PEllILS.  — ROMANISM. 

cepts  the  Pope's  right  to  dictate  his  heHefs  and  acts,  of 
what  avail  are  his  Uberal  sympathies?  lie  is  siini)ly  the 
instriinient  of  the  absohite  and  intolerant  papal  will.  His 
sympathies  can  assert  themselves  and  control  his  life  only 
as  he  breaks  Avith  the  Pope,  that  is,  ceases  to  be  a  Konian 
Catholic.  I  fear  we  have  little  ground  to  expect  that 
many  would  thus  break  with  the  Pope,  were  a  distinct 
issue  raised.  ;  Everyone  born  a  Roman  Catholic  is  suck- 
led on  authority.  His  training  attects  every  fiber  of  his 
mental  constitution.  He  has  been  taught  that  he  must 
not  judge  for  himself,  nor  trust  to  his  own  convictions. 
If  he  finds  his  sympathies,  his  judgment  and  convictions 
in  conflict  with  a  papal  decree,  it  is  the  perfectly  natural 
result  of  his  training  for  him  to  distrust  himself.  His 
will,  accustomed  all  his  life  to  yield  to  authority  witliout 
question,  is  not  equal  to  the  conflict  that  would  follow 
disobedience.  How  can  he  withstand  a  power  able  to 
inflict  most  serious  punishment  in  this  life,  and  infinite 
penalties  in  the  next?  ^  Only  now  and  then  will  one 
resist  and  suffer  the  consequences,  in  the  spirit  of  the 
Captain  in  Beaumont  and  Fletcher's  poeYn  "The  Sea 
Voyage."    Juletta  tells  the  Captain  and  his  company: 

"  Why,  slaves,  'tis  in  our  power  to  hanp  ye." 

The  Captain  replies: 

"Very  likely, 
Tis  in  our  powers,  then,  to  be  hanged  and  scorn  ye." 

Modern  times  aflford  an  excellent  illustration  of  what 
may  be  expected  when  liberal  prelates,  strongly  opposed 
to  ultramontanism,  are  brought  to  the  crucial  test. 
Many  members  of  the  Vaticaii  Council  (1870)  vigorously 
withstood  the  dogma  of  papal  infallibility,  among  whom, 
says  Professor  Schaff,  "were  the  prelates  most  distin- 
guished for  learning  and  position."  Many  of  them 
spoke  and  wrote  against  the  dogma.  Archbishop  Ken- 
drick,  of  St.  Louis,  published  in  Naples  an  "irrefragable 
argument " '  against  it.     The  day  before  the  decisive  vote 


PERILS.  —  ROMANISM.  83 

was  to  be  taken,  more  than  a  hundred  bishops  and  arch- 
bishops, members  of  the  opposition,  left  the  council  and 
departed  from  Rome  rather  than  face  defeat.  But  these 
moderate  and  liberal  Romanists,  including  the  several 
American  prelates  who  had  belonged  to  the  opposition,  all 
submitted,  and  published  to  their  I'espective  flocks  the 
obnoxious  decree  which  some  of  them  had  shown  to  be 
contrary  to  history  and  to  reason.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  these  men  were  the  most  liberal  and  among 
the  most  able  in  the  church.  In  view  of  the  fact  that 
their  opposition  thus  utterly  collapsed,  what  reason  have 
we  to  expect  that  liberal  Romanists  in  this  country,  who 
have  already  assented  to  the  infallibility  of  the  Pope, 
will  ever  violate  their  oath  of  obedience  to  him?  If 
the  liberality  of  avowed  opponents  of  ultramontanism 
yielded  to  papal  authority,  what  reason  is  there  to  think 
the  liberality  of  avowed  ultramontanists  will  ever  resist 
it? 

Moreover  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  more 
moderate  Roman  Catholics  in  the  United  States  are  gen- 
erally those  who  in  childhood  had  the  benefit  of  our 
public  schools,  and  their  intelligence  and  liberality  are 
due  chiefly  to  the  training  there  received.  In  the  public 
schools  they  learned  to  think  and  were  largely  Amer- 
icanized by  associating  with  American  children.  But 
their  children  are  being  subjected  to  very  different  in- 
fluences in  the  parochial  schools.  They  are  there  given 
a  training  calculated  to  make  them  nari'ow  and  bigoted ; 
and,  being  separated  as  much  as  possible  from  all  Prot- 
estant children,  they  grow  up  suspicious  of  Protestants, 
and  so  thoroughly  sectarianized  and  Romanized  as  to 
be  well  protected  against  the  broadening  and  American- 
izing influences  of  our  civilization  in  after  life.i 


1  It  is  shown  in  the  following  chapter  that  the  parochial  school  has  come 
to  stay.  It  is  the  avowed  purpose  of  the  hierarchy  to  bring  all  Roman 
Catholic  children  under  its  instruction.  That  instruction  is  thoroughly 
ultramontane  and  is  well  calculated  to  destroy  all  tendencies  toward  mod- 
erate or  liberal  Romanism  in  the  rising  generation.  Familiar  Explanation 
of  Catholic  Doctrine,  by  Rev.  M.    Muller  (Benziger  Brothers,    1888),  is   a 


84  PKKILS. — liO.MANI.SM. 

\Vo  liase  soon  the  fundamental  principles  of  our  fire 
institutions  laid  side  by  side  with  some  of  those  of 
Komanisni,  expressed  in  tlie  words  of  the  highest  possible 
authorities  in  the  Roman  Catholi<;  Church;  and  thus  pre- 
sented they  have  declared  for  themselves  tlie  inherent 
contradiction  which  exists  between  them. 

It  has  been  shown  that  it  is  the  avowed  ])urpose  of 
Romanists  to  "  make  America  Catholic." 

It  has  been  shown  that  this  could  not  be  done  without 
bringing-  into  active  conflict  the  diameti-ically  opposed 
princijiles  of  Romanism  and  of  the  RepubHc,  thus  forc- 
ing all  Romanists  in  the  United  States  to  choose  between 
the  two  masters,  both  of  whom  they  now  i)rofess  to 
serve. 

It  has  been  shown  that  Roman  Catholic  training,  from 


Roman  Catechism,  used  in  the  parochial  schools,  bearing  the  imprimatur 
of  Cardinal  Gibbons  and  strongly  commended  by  many  Roman  prelates. 
The  following  extracts  are  from  No.  IV.  of  the  series.  "The  Pope  could 
not  discharge  his  office  as  the  teacher  of  all  nations,  unless  he  were  able 
with  infallible  certainty  to  proscribe  and  condemn  doctrines,  logical, 
scientific,  physical,  metaphysical,  or  political  of  any  kind,  which  are  at 
variance  with  the  Word  of  God,  and  imperil  the  integrity  and  purity  of  the 
faith,  or  the  salvation  of  souls  "  (p.  120).  The  italics  are  in  all  cases  Father 
Muller's.  Note  the  words  ''political  of  any  kind."  "To  be  separated 
from  the  divine  authority  of  the  Pope,  is  to  be  separated  from  God.  and  to 
have  no  i)laee  in  tlH«  Kingdom  of  Christ"  (p.  126).  "The  church  only  can 
judge  how  far  her  authority  goes  ....  where  the  boundary  line  is  to  be 
drawn,  and  in  what  attitude  we  have  to  place  ourselves  as  to  certain  sub- 
jects, tliesp  things  are  altogether  beyond  our  power  or  our  right,  and  are 
wholly  within  the  judgment  of  the  Apostolic  See  "  (p.  127).  The  writer  de- 
votes eighteen  pages  to  inculcating  the  infalliljility  of  the  Pope. 

Twenty-flve  pages  are  devoted  to  "  Reasons  why  no  stUvation  is  possible 
outside  the  Uonian  Catholic  Church."  "  Christ  has  solemnly  declared  that 
only  those  will  be  saved,  who  have  done  God's  will  on  earth  as  explained, 
not  by  private  interpretation,  but  by  the  infallible  te*hing  of  the  Roman 
(Catholic  Church"  (p.  163).  "All  those  who  wish  to  be  saved,  nuist  die 
united  to  the  Catholic  Church;  for  out  of  lier  there  is  no  salvation  "  (p.  164). 
"Anyone  separnird  from  her  (the  church),  however  praiseworthy  a  life 
he  may  think  he  leads,  by  this  crime  alone,  i.  e..  by  his  .-separation  from  the 
vnity  of  Christ,  he  will  be  debarred  from  life  eternal,  and  the  wrath  of  God 
vill  remain  ripon  him"  (Appendix,  p.  9).  This  doctrine  js  iterated  and 
reiterated  adozen  times  on  a  single  page  (p.  7.  Appendix).  The  Allocution  of 
Pius  IX.  to  the  Cardinals.  December  17,  1847,  is  quoted:  "But  quite  recently 
—we  shudder  to  say  it,— certain  men  have  not  hesiUted  to  slander  us  by  say- 


PERILS. — llOMANISM.  85 

childhood  up,  is  calculated  to  disqualify  the  inind  for 
independent  action,  and  renders  it  highly  improbable 
that  any  considerable  number  of  even  moderate  and 
liberal  Eomanists  would,  in  the  supposed  event,  forsake 
their  allegiance  to  the  Pope. 

V.  The  rate  of  growth,  therefore,  of  Romanism  in  the 
United  States  becomes  a  matter  of  vital  importance. 

Many  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  true  character 
of  Romanism  are  indifferent  to  it  because  not  aware  of 
its  rapid  growth  among  us.  They  tell  us,  and  truly, 
that  Rome  loses  great  numbers  of  adherents  here 
through  the  influence  of  our  free  schools,  free  institu- 
tions, and  the  strong  pervasive  spirit  of  indt^pendence 
which  is  so  hostile  to  priestly  authority.  But  let  us  not 
congratulate  ourselves  too  soon.    The  losses  of  Romanism 


ing  that  we  share  in  their  folly,  favor  that  most  wicked  system,  and  tliink  so 
benevolently  of  every  class  of  mankind  as  to  suppose  that  not  only  the  sons 
of  the  church,  but  that  the  rest  also,  however  alienated  from  Catholic  unity, 
are  alike  in  the  way  of  salvation,  and  may  arrive  at  everlasting  life.  We 
are  at  a  loss,  from  horror,  to  find  words  to  express  our  detestation  of  this 
new  and  atrocious  injustice  that  is  done  us." 

The  writer  continues:  "  JIark  well,  Pius  IX.  uttered  these  solemn  words 
against  'certain  men,'  whom  he  calls  the  enemies  of  the  Catholic  Faith— he 
means  liberal-minded  Catholics,  as  is  evident  from  his  words,  which,  on 
July  28,  1873,  he  addressed  to  the  members  of  the  Catholic  Society  of  Quim- 
per:  '  Tell  the  members  of  the  Catholic  Society  that,  on  the  numerous  oc- 
casions on  which  we  have  censured  those  who  held  liberal  opinions,  we  did 
not  mean  those  who  hate  the  church,  whom  it  would  have  been  useless  to 
reprove,  but  those  Catholics  who  have  adopted  so-called  liberal  opinions: 
ivho  preserve  and  foster  the  hidden  poison  of  liberal  principles.'"  Pius 
continues:  "  To  entertain  opinions  contrary  to  this  Catholic  faith  is  to  he  an 
impious  wretch."  (Appendix  p.  8).  This  is  what  the  rising  generation  of 
Roman  Catholics  is  being  taught  concerning  "  liberal  Catholics." 

I  can  prolong  this  note  to  quote  only  a  few  words  from  the  instructions 
given  concerning  the  relations  of  church  and  state.  "  Therefore,  the  church 
is  not  to  accommodate  her  legislation  to  the  legislation  of  the  state,  but  that 
the  state  laws  must  not  conflict  with  the  laws  of  the  church."  (p.  199). 
xVfter  enumerating  some  laws  which  Romanists  do  not  like,  the  writer  con- 
tinues: "  Just  hei-e  let  us  lay  down  an  incontestable  platform.  We  have  a 
right  to  secure  just  legislation  and  wipe  out  unjust  and  scandalous  laws. 
We  have  that  right  on  the  ground  of  citizenship  and  we  mean  to  exercise 
every  right  in  that  category,  whether  the  hordes  and  mobs  howl,  sneer  and 
jeer,  or  quietly  let  us  do  so."  (p.  200). 

Such  is  the  mold  in  whicli  the  Roman  Catholic  mind  of  the  coming  gen- 
eration is  being  cast 


86  ri:i:ii.s. — ko.manism. 

in  the  United  States  ai-e  not  necessarily  the  gains  of 
Protestantism.  When  a  man,  born  in  the  Koniau  Cath 
olic  Church,  loses  confidence  in  the  only  faith  of  which 
he  has  any  knowledge,  instead  of  examining  Protestant- 
ism he  probably  sinks  into  skepticism,  which  is  even 
worse  than  supei'stition.  Romanism  is  chiefly  responsi- 
ble for  German  and  French  infidelity.  For,  when  a 
mind  to  which  thought  and  free  inquiry  have  been  for- 
bidden as  a  crime  attains  its  intellectual  majority,  the 
largeness  of  liberty  is  not  enough ;  it  reacts  into  license 
and  excess.  Skepticism  and  infidelity  are  the  legitimate 
children  of  unreasoning  and  superstitious  credulity,  and 
the  grandchildren  of  Rome.  Apostate  Romanists  are 
swelling  our  most  dangerous  classes.  Unaccustomed  to 
think  for  themselves,  and  having  thrown  oft  authority, 
they  become  the  easy  victims  of  the  wildest  and  most 
dangerous  propagandists. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  great  losses  sustained  by 
Romanism  in  the  United  States,i  it  is  growing  with 
great  rapidity.  No  one  knows  what  the  present  Roman 
Catholic  population  is,  and  estimates  vary  widely. 2 
Cardinal  Gibbons  at  the  Baltimore  Congress  in  1881) 
placed  it  at  !),()()(),0()().  Many  Roman  Catholic  writers 
think  it  is  larger.  Bishoj)  llogan,  of  Missouri,  estimates 
it  at  i;}.0()(),()()().  But  this  is  wild.  No  doubt  the  figures 
of  "Sadlier's  Catholic  Directory''  (1890)  are  large 
enough.  This  gives  the  Romanist  population  as  8,277,- 
039.  These  figures  are  probably  as  reliable  as  earlier 
ones  from  the  same  source,  and,  therefore,  serve  as  a 
basis  for  comparison  to  estimati^  the  i-ate  of  growth. 

In  1800  the  Roman  Catholic  population  was  100,000. 
There  was  then  in  the  United  States  one  Romanist  'to 
every  53  of  the  whole  population ;  in  1850,  one  to  14.3;  in 
1870,  one  to  8.3;  in  1880,  one  to  7.7;  in  1890,  one  to  7.5. 
Thus  it  apjK'ars  that,  wonderful  as  the  giowth  of   our 

'  AcconliiiK  t'l  Koiiiiiii  Ciilli'>lic  autluiritu's,  tlii'  nieinlwi-s  they  have  lost 
liere,  together  witli  tlu'ir  desceiulaiits,  now  iiuiiiIht  tipwnr^K  of  ten  millionH 
-  poiisidenibly  more  Ihnn  flie  jiresent  Romnnist  ))npnlntioii. 

»  A  recent  CensiiH  Ifiilletin  K'ves  the  K.  C.  VUmnh  in  the  United  Slnt*>fl 
Ce-'AtM.')  nienihers.  exehidinu  elillilren  under  nine  veins 


PEllILS. — ROMANISM.  87 

population  has  been  since  1800,  that  of  the  Roman 
Church  in  this  country  has  been  still  more  rapid.  Dr. 
Dorchester  in  his  valuable  and  inspiring  work,  "Problem 
of  Religious  Progress,"  easily  shows  that  the  actual  gains 
of  Protestantism  in  the  United  States,  during  the 
century,  have  been  much  larger  than  those  of  Romanism, 
and  seems  disposed,  in  consequence,  to  dismiss  all 
anxiety  as  to  the  issue  of  the  race  between  them.  But  it 
is  relative  rather  than  actual  gains  which  are  prophetic. 
We  find  that  for  the  first  eighty  years  of  the  century 
the  rate  of  growth  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  was 
greater  than  that  of  any  one  Protestant  church  or  of  all 
Protestant  churches  combined.  From  1800  to  1880  the 
population  increased  nine-fold,  the  membership  of  all 
evangelical  churches  twenty -seven-fold,  and  the  Roman- 
ist population  sixty-three-fold.  ^  Not  much  importance, 
however,  should  be  attached  to  this  comparison,  as  the 
Roman  Catholic  population  was  insignificant  in  1800,  and 
a  small  addition  sufficed  to  increase  it  several-fold.  But 
in  1850  that  population  was  nearly  one-half  as  large  as 
the  membership  of  all  evangelical  churches.  Let  us, 
then,  look  at  their  relative  progress  since  that  time. 
From  1850  to  1880  the  population  increased  116  per  cent., 
the  communicants  of  evangelical  churches  185  per  cent., 
and  the  Romanist  population  294  per  cent.  During  the 
same  period  the  number  of  evangelical  churches  in- 
creased 125  per  cent.,  and  the  number  of  evangelical 
ministers  173  per  cent.,  while  Roman  Catholic  churches 
increased  447  per  cent,  and  priests  391  per  cent. 

In  1800  priests  were  1.9  per  cent,  of  the  number  of 
evangelical  ministers;  in  1850,  5.0  per  cent. ;  in  1870,  8.3 
per  cent. ;  and  in  1880,  9. 1  per  cent.  In  1850,  Roman 
Catholic  churches  were  2.8  per  cent,  of  the  number  of 
evangeljcal  churches;  in  1870,  5.4  per  cent. ;  and  in  1880, 

1  Some  criticism  has  been  offered  on  the  writer's  comparison  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  population  with  the  evangelical  church  membership  instead  of 
evangelical  population.  But  the  comparison  is  of  rates  of  increase,  not  of 
actual  numbers,  and  if  made  with  the  evangelical  population  instead  of 
membership,  the  result  would  have  been  identical. 


88  PEPtlLS.  —  ROM  AX  ISM. 

G.8  per  cent.     In  1800  the  Roman  Catholic  population 
was  21  per  cent,  of  the  number  of  evangelical  church 

The  following  tables,  showing  the  actual  increase  of  evangelical  com 
municants  and  of  Roman  Catholics  are  compiled  from  Dr.  Dorchester's 
Problem  of  Religious  Progress,  from  the  church  statistics  of  The  Indepen- 
dent for  1890  (July  31),  and  from  the  Eleveuth  Census. 


Year. 

Evangelical 
Churches  or 
Congregations. 

Ordained 
Ministers. 

Communicants. 

1'OPUI.ATION  OF 
THE 

Unfted  States. 

ISOO 

3,030 

2,651 

364,872 

5,305,925 

1850 

43,072 

25,.555 

3,529,988 

23,191,876 

1870 

70,148 

47,609 

6,673,396 

38,55^,371 

1880 

97,000 

69,870 

10,06  ),963 

50,152,866 

1890 

142,599 

93,776 

13,417,180 

62,480,540 

Year. 

Roman  Catholic            p„Tp.Q.ra 
Churches.            1      Priests. 

Population. 

1800 

50 

100,000 

1850 

1,222 

1,302 

1,614,000 

1870 

3,806 

3,966 

4,600,000 

1880 

6,6221 

6,402 

6,367,330 

1890 

7,523 

8,332 

S,277,0;?9 

PERILS. — IIOMAXIS.M.  80 

meiubers;  in  1850,  45  per  cent. ;  in  1870,  68  per  cent. ;  ana 
in  1880,  63  per  cent.^  Thus  we  see  that  lor  the  tir.si 
eighty  years  of  the  century  the  Eonian  CathoUcs  gained 
rapidly  both  on  the  population  and  on  the  evangelical 
churches.  But  the  latest  statistics  show  that  between 
1880  and  1890  the  tide  turned.  In  1880  the  Romanist 
population  was  63  per  cent,  of  the  number  of  evangelical 
communicants;  in  1890,  61  per  cent.  In  1880  their 
priests  were  9.1  per  cent,  of  the  number  of  evangelical 
ministers ;  in  1890,  8.8  per  cent.  In  1880  their  churches 
were  6.8  per  cent,  of  the  number  of  evangelical  churches; 
in  1890,  5.2  per  cent.  This  relative  loss  since  1880  has 
not  been  due  to  any  lack  of  vitality,  for,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  Romanism  has  gained  on  the  population 
during  these  ten  years,  but  to  the  more  vigorous  growth 
of  the  Protestant  churches,  which  during  this  time  have 
been  not  a  little  quickened. 

Whether  this  relative  loss,  however,  marks  a  perma- 
nent or  only  temporary  turn  in  the  tide  does  not  yet  ap- 
pear. It  must  be  remembered,  first,  that  this  loss  is 
only  slight;  and,  secondly,  that  the  now  pronounced  pa- 
rochial school  policy  can  hardly  fail  to  keep  great  num- 
bers in  the  Roman  communion,  which  through  the  broad- 
ening influence  of  the  public  school  would  have  left  it, 
thus  greatly  stimulating  the  rate  of  growth  of  that 
church  in  the  future. 

But  this  is  not  all.  Rome,  Avith  characteristic  fore- 
sight, is  concentrating  her  strength  in  the  western  terri- 
tories. As  the  West  is  to  dominate  the  nation,  she 
intends  to  dominate  the  West.  In  the  United  States 
a  little  more  than  one-eighth  of  the  population  is 
Catholic ;      in   the    ten-itories    taken     together,    more 


1  The  relative  loss  from  1870  to  1880  is  probably  only  apparent  and  due  to 
an  overestimate  of  the  Roman  Catholic  population  in  1870.  It  will  be  ob- 
served that  the  figures  given  for  the  Roman  Catholic  population  that  year  in 
the  foregoing  table  are  "round  innnbers."  It  is  far  more  probable  that 
their  population  increased  at  about  an  even  rate  with  their  churches  and 
priests  from  18.50  to  1880,  than  that  it  increased  much  more  rapidly  than 
ch\irches  and  priests  from  1850  to  1870  and  much  less  rapidly  from  1870  to  1880. 


00  I'HIMLS. — UO.MAXISM. 

than  one-third.'  In  the  whole  counti'y  there  are 
not  quite  two-thirds  as  many  Konianists  as  there 
are  members  of  evangehcal  churches.  Not  including 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  which  have  a  large  native 
Roman  Catholic  population,  the  ^ix  remaining  territories 
in  1880  had  four  times  as  many  Romanists  as  there  were 
members  in  all  Protestant  denominations  collectively; 
and  including  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  Rome  had 
eighteen  times  as  many  as  all  Protestant  bodies. 2  We 
are  told  that  the  native  Romanists  of  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico  are  not  as  energetic  as  the  Protestants  who  are 
pushing  into  those  territories.  True,  but  they  are  ener- 
getic enough  to  be  counted.  The  most  wretched  mem- 
bers of  society  count  as  much  at  the  polls  as  the  best, 
and  often  much  more.  It  is  poor  consolation  which  is 
drawn  from  the  ignorance  of  any  portion  of  our  popula- 
tion. Those  degraded  peoples  are  clay  in  the  hands  of 
the  Jesuits.  When  the  Jesuits  were  driven  out  of  Ber- 
lin, they  declared  that  they  would  plant  themselves  in 
the  western  territories  of  America.  And  they  are  there 
to-day  with  empires  in  their  brains.  Expelled  for  their 
intrigues  even  from  Roman  Catholic  countries,  Spain, 
Portugal,  France,  Italy,  Austria,  Mexico,  Brazil,  and 
other  states,  they  are  free  to  colonize  in  the  great  West, 
and  are  there,  purposing  to  Romanize  and  control  our 
western  empire.  Rev.  J.  H.  Warren,  D.D.,  writes  from 
California,  in  Avhich  State  there  are  four  times  as  many 
Romanists  as  Protestant  church  members:  "  The  Roman 
Catholic  power  is  fast  becoming  an  overwhelming  evil. 
Their  schools  are  everywhere,  and  number  probably  200 
in  the  State.     Their  new  college  of  St.  Ignatius  is,  we 


1  These  are  the  fljj iires  for  1880.  On  this  point  the  statistics  of  the  Eleventh 
Census  are  not  yet  available. 

»  The  writer  has  been  critii-ised  at  this  point  also  for  comparing  Roman 
Catholic  popuJdtion  with  evanprelical  church  mcmherxhip  instead  of  popula- 
tion (which  latter  is  something  not  definitely  known).  lUit  the  critics  miss 
the  writer's  point.  The  conijiurison  is  not  between  the  stren>?th  of  Uonian- 
isin  and  Protestantism  in  the  West,  but  betw<>en  the  relative  strength  of 
Romanism  in  the  whole  country  and  in  the  territories. 


PERILS. — ROMANISM.  91 

are  told,  tlie  largest,  finest,  best  equipped  of  its  kind  in 
the  United  States.  They  blow  no  trumpets,  are  sparing 
of  statistics,  but  are  at  work  night  and  day  to  break 
down  the  institutions  of  the  country,  beginning  with  the 
public  schools.  As  surely  as  we  live,  so  surely  will  the 
conflict  come,  and  it  will  be  a  hard  one."  ^ 

Lafayette,  born  a  Romanist,  and  knowing  well  the 
nature  of  Romanism  and  its  antipathy  to  liberty,  said : 
"If  the  liberties  of  the  American  people  are  ever  de- 
stroyed, they  Avill  fall  by  the  hands  of  the  Romish 
clergy." - 


1  Quoted  by  Dr.  E.  P.  Goodwin,  in  a  sermon  before  tbe  American  Home 
Missionary  Society,  May  9,  1880. 

»  From  the  title  page  of  Tiie  Confessions  of  a  Frencli  Catholic  Priest, 
1837.  Prof.  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse,  who  wrote  the  introduction  to  the  book, 
says  in  it:  "  The  declaration  of  Lafayette,  which  the  author  has  placed  as  a 
motto  in  the  title  page  of  this  book,  is  a  beautiful  evidence  of  the  sagacity 
and  vigilance  of  liberty's  great  friend.  Lafayette,  like  a  veteran  mariner, 
was  ever  watching  the  political  horizon  for  the  indications  of  danger  to  his 
beloved  America,  and  the  danger  to  which  his  latest  warnings  pointed  was 
this  very  covert  political  attack,  which  is  in  full  operation  upon  our  soil  at 
this  moment;  an  attack  the  more  dangerous  because  it  shields  itself  under 
the  mask  of  religion,  and  cries  out '  persecution  '  at  every  attempt  to  expose 
its  true,  its  political  character."  These  words  are  as  applicable  to-day  as 
they  w^ere  when  written  a  generation  ago. 

Prof.  :Morse,  in  a  foot-note  contained  in  the  introduction  quoted  above, 
says:  "  It  may  not  be  amiss  here  to  state  that  the  declaration  of  Lafayette 
in  the  motto  in  question  was  repeated  by  him  to  more  than  one  American. 
The  very  last  interview  which  I  had  with  Lafayette  on  the  morning  of  my 
departure  from  Paris,  full  of  his  usual  concern  for  America,  he  made  use  of 
the  same  warning,  and  in  a  letter  which  I  received  from  him  but  a  few  days 
after  at  Havre,  he  alludes  to  the  whole  subject  with  the  hope  expressed  thatl 
would  make  known  thj  real  state  of  things  in  Europe  to  my  countrymen;  at 
the  same  time  charging  it  upon  me  as'a  sacred  duty  as  an  American,  to  ac- 
quaint them  with  the  fears  which  were  entertained  by  the  friends  of  repub- 
lican liberty,  in  regard  to  our  coimtry.  If  I  have  labored  with  any  success 
to  arouse  the  attention  of  my  countrymen  to  the  dangers  foreseen  by  Lafay- 
ette, I  owe  it  in  a  great  degree  to  having  acted  in  conformity  to  his  often  re- 
peated injunctions." 

Letters  might  be  given  from  gentlemen  cfuoting  language  of  the  same  im- 
port, but  stronger,  which  Lafayette  had  used  to  them.  It  seems  worth 
while  to  quote  from  Prof.  Morse  at  some  length  because  the  authenticity  of 
the  above  saying  of  Lafayette  has  been  denied  by  Bishop  Kain,  of  Wheeling, 
W.  Va.,  and  by  other  Roman  Catholics. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PERILS.— RELIGION  AND  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

Democracy  necessitates  the  public  school.  Important 
as  is  the  school  to  any  civilized  people,  it  is  exception- 
ally so  to  us,  for  in  the  United  States  the  common  school 
has  a  function  which  is  peculiar,  viz.,  to  Americanize 
the  children  of  immigrants.  The  public  school  is  the 
jirincipal  digestive  organ  of  the  body  ])olitic.  By  means 
of  it  the  children  of  strange  and  dissimilar  races  which 
come  to  us  are,  in  one  generation,  assimilated  and  made 
Americans.  It  is  the  heterogeneous  character  of  our 
population  (especially  in  cities)  which  threatens  the 
integrity  of  our  public  school  system  and  at  the  same 
time  renders  it  supremely  important  to  maintain  that 
integrity.  Moreover,  apart  from  consequences  to  the 
school  system,  the  policy  which  is  finally  adopted  by  the 
Amei'ican  people  touching  religion  and  the  public 
schools  concei-ns  most  intimately  the  welfare  both  of 
om-  youth  and  of  the  State. 

Public  opinion  as  to  the  true  i-elations  of  the  State  to 
religious  instruction  is  as  yet  much  divided  or  unformed. 
The  schools  are  criticised  both  on  the  ground  that  they 
are  godless  and  on  the  ground  that  they  arc  secl;irian. 
because  they  have  too  little  religion  and  again  because 
they  have  too  mucli.  Two  theories  which  threaten  the 
woll-being  of  tlie  schools  and  of  the  State  demand  our 
attention:  — 

First,  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  hierarchy,  which 
holds  that  education  should  be  distinctly  religious, 
which  of  course  menus  Roman  Catholic.  Vague  or  gen- 
eral instruction  will  not  suflic(>,  there  must  be  inculcated 
the  system  of  doclriiic  found  in  the  Roman  cat<H'liisin. 


PEIjILS.  —  RELIGION    AND   THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     93 

It  holds  that  religious  and  secular  education  cannot  be 
safely  separated.  Inasmuch,  therefore,  as  the  State  will 
not  teach  Roman  Catholic  doctrine  in  the  public  schools, 
parochial  schools  become  necessary. 

It  is  held  that  the  public  schools  are  in  fact  Protes- 
tant, and  that  Catholics  are  taxed  to  support  them  while 
they  carry  the  burden  of  their  own  parochial  schools. 
They  complain  that  this  is  an  injustice  which  can  be 
removed  only  by  the  division  of  the  school  fund,  and 
that  to  divide  this  fund  between  the  "  Protestant "  and 
Catholic  schools  pro  rata  would  be  only  equitable.  To 
secure  such  division  is  their  avowed  policy. 

This  position  is  to  be  regretted  but  not  to  be  wondered 
at.  It  was  inevitable  that  the  parochial  school  should  be 
opened  and  attendance  upon  it  made  obligatory.  The 
hierarchy  could  not  otherwise  be  true  to  the  spirit  and 
genius  of  their  church.  The  conflict  between  the  paro- 
chial and  the  public  schools  goes  far  deeper  than  the 
question  of  religious  instruction.  It  involves  the  whole 
subject  of  education,  its  aim  and  methods.  The  object  of 
the  pubhc  school  is  to  make  good  citizens.  The  object 
of  the  parochial  school  is  to  make  good  Catholics.  The 
public  school  seeks  to  give  both  knowledge  and  disci- 
pline, not  only  truth  but  the  power  to  find  truth.  The 
parochial  school  aims  to  lead,  rather  than  to  train  the 
mind ;  to  produce  a  spirit  of  submission  rather  than  of 
independence.  The  one  system  is  calculated  to  arouse, 
the  other  to  repress,  the  spirit  of  inquiry.  The  one  aims 
at  self-control,  the  other  at  control  by  superiors.  The 
one  seeks  to  secure  intelligent  obedience  to  rightful 
authority;  the  other  unquestioning  obedience  to  arbi- 
trary authority.  In  a  trial  held  in  one  of  the  courts  of 
New  York  City,  November,  1888,  Monsignor  Preston, 
vicar-general  of  New  York,  was  asked  on  the  witness 
stand  if  Roman  Catholics  must  obey  their  bishops, 
whether  right  or  wrong.  He  replied,  "Yes ! "  and,  when 
the  question  was  repeated,  answered,  "They  must  obey, 
right  or  wrong."  (Notes  of  hearing  before  the  Commit- 
tee on  Education  and  Labor,  United  States  Senate,  page 


94     PERILS.  —  UELKilOX    AN  J)    Till;    I'LJ'.EIC    SCHOOLS. 

79.)  The  free  school  system  is  intended  to  build  up  soci- 
ety by  developing  in  the  pupil  a  strong  individuality, 
while  Catholic  education  strengthens  the  church  at  the 
expense  of  individuality.  This  is  frankly  admitted  by 
the  late  Father  Hecker,  who  was  one  of  the  ablest  as 
well  as  most  loj^al  writers  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  in  the  United  States.  In  his  recent  work,  pub- 
lished just  before  his  death,  he  says:  "The  defense  of 
the  church  and  the  salvation  of  the  soul  were  ordinarily 
secured  at  the  expense  necessarily  of  those  virtues  which 
properly  go  to  make  up  the  strength  of  Christian  man- 
hood, "i  (The  salvation  of  the  soul  at  the  expense  of 
Christian  virtues!)  "In  the  principles  above  briefly 
stated,"  he  continues,  "may  ill  a  great  measure  be 
found  the  explanation  why  fifty  million  of  Protestants 
have  had  generally  a  controlling  influence,  for  a  long 
period,  over  two  hundred  million  Catholics  in  directing 
the  movements  and  destinies  of  nations.  "- 

But  doubtless  the  decree  of  the  Third  Plenary  Council 
in  1884,  ordering  the  establishment  of  parochial  schools, 
was  due  quite  as  much  to  a  significant  fact  as  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  theory  of  education.  That  fact  is  the 
heavy  loss  sustained  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
among  the  descendants  of  immigrants  in  the  United 
States.  The  editor  of  the  Irish  Wo7'ld,  Avho  is  called  by 
an  intelligent  Catholic  writer  "a  master  of  statistics," 
has  made  an  elaborate  analysis  of  the  popidation,  from 
which  he  infers  that  there  are  now  living  in  the  United 
States  ten  million  persons,  who  as  descendants  of 
Roman  Catholics  ought  to  be  members  of  the  Roman 
Church,  but  who  are  lost  to  it.  This  loss  is  commonly 
attributed  to  the  influence  of  the  public  school.  Says 
the  Catholic  Review  of  August  31,  1881):  "The  parochial 
school  is  necessai-y  because  Catholic  children  cannot  be 
brought  up  CathoHc  and  attend  the  public  school.  This 
is  a  recognized  fact.  ...      At  the  present  moment  the 


>  The  Churcli  and  the  Age,  p.  10. 
a  Ibid.,  p.  17. 


PKIULS. — IIELIGIOX    AND   THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     95 

Catholic  Church  in  America  depends  more  on  the  faith 
of  the  Catholic  immigrant  than  on  the  faith  of  the  gen- 
eration which  has  received  its  education  in  the  public 
schools.  .  .  .  We  see  no  way  of  making  them  (young 
Americans)  Catholics  than  by  the  parochial  school. 
Our  conscience  forces  us  to  take  up  the  work." 

Attention  has  been  called  to  the  ground  of  action  on 
the  part  of  the  hierarchy  to  show  that  there  is  no  possi- 
bility of  compromise  with  it.  If  the  Bible  in  the  public 
school  were  the  cause  of  the  Catholic  secession  there- 
from, its  removal  might  stop  the  movement;  but  it  is 
not  the  cause,  and  its  removal  would  be  a  fruitless  sacri- 
fice. We  may  as  well  recognize  the  fact  that  the  paro- 
chial school  has  come  to  stay,  regardless  of  the  treat- 
ment of  religion  in  the  public  schools.  ^  It  is  a  necessary 
part  of  a  great  educational  system,  which,  to  provide 
for  its  3,1942  parochial  schools,  has  its  teaching  brother- 
hoods and  sisterhoods,  its  102  colleges,  its  35  theo- 
logical seminaries,  and  to  crown  all  its  great  Catho- 
lic American  University  at  Washington,  for  which 
$1,000,000  have  already  been  subscribed,  and  which, 
including  the  endowments  of  chairs,  we  are  told  will  cost 
between  $5,000,000  and  $10,000,000. 

Here,  then,  is  a  theory  of  education  which  can  no 
more  be  harmonized  with  the  American  theory  than 
water  can  be  made  to  coalesce  with  oil ;  here  is  the  dis- 
covery that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  act  on  this  the- 
ory in  order  to  prevent  disastrous  results  to  the  Catho- 
lic Church ;  here  is  an  elaborate  educational  system  for 
whose  equipment  many  millions  of  dollars  have  already 
been  invested ;  and  finally,  the  authoritative  declarations 
of  the  Catholic  Church  referred  to  in  the  preceding 
chapter  (p.  75)  place  beyond  all  doubt  the  attitude  of  the 
hierarchy  tow-ard  the  public  schools,  the  permanence  of 


1  "  We  must  muliply  them  (parochial  schools)  till  every  Catholic  child  in 
the  land  shall  have  the  means  of  education  witliin  its  reach."  Pastoral  Let- 
ter,    Acta  et  Decreta  Concilii,  Baltimorensis  Tertii,     p.  Ixxxv. 

«  See  Catholic  Directory  for  1890. 


'.H;      I'1:KII,S.  —  UKLKilON    AND    TIIK    I>IHLI('    SCJIOOLS, 

the  t'ducational  policy  which  they  have  adoptcil,  and 
llie  inipossibihty  of  compromise. 

We  must  not  forget  that  there  are  many  Roman  Cath- 
ohc  laj'men  who  prefer,  and  who  dare  to  patronize,  the 
public  schools,  but  they  have  no  share  in  the  authority 
of  the  Church.  The  hierarchy  has  thoroughly  and  irrev- 
ocably committed  the  Church  against  the  public  school, 
and  infallibility  cannot  retreat  ;  to  do  so  would  be  to 
confess  itself  fallible. 

It  has  seemed  worth  while  to  show  that  the  educa- 
tional policy  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Chin-ch  must  needs 
remain  fixed,  because  the  recognition  of  this  fact  should 
aid  the  i)ublic  toward  a  fixed  policy  touching  religious 
instruction  in  the  public  schools. 

This  cleavage  of  the  population  along  religious  lines  is 
greatly  to  be  regretted.  It  is  un-American.  It  carries 
the  shadow  on  the  dial  of  progress  back  from  the  nine- 
teenth to  the  seventeenth  century.  Intercourse  tends  to 
eliminate  differences  and  to  make  a  population  homoge- 
neous. Non-intercourse  nourishes  suspicion,  prejudice, 
and  religious  bitterness,  of  which  the  world  has  had 
quite  enough  already.  There  are  many  reasons  why 
children  of  different  religions  and  different  races,  of  rich 
and  poor,  of  all  classes  of  society,  should  mingle  in  the 
public  school.  This  segregation  of  the  Catholic  children, 
though  well  intended,  inflicts  injury  upon  society  and  a 
greater  injury  upon  the  Catholic  children  themselves. 
How  can  the  evil  results  which  must  necessarily  attend 
the  establishment  of  parochial  schools  be  minimized? 
Certainly  not  by  secularizing  the  public  schools.  This 
remedy  was  tried  to  a  considerable  extent,  when  the 
question  of  the  Bible  in  the  public  schools  was  so  wid(>ly 
discussed  some  twenty  years  ago.  Instead  of  conciliat- 
ing the  Catholic  priestliood,  it  only  put  into  their  mouth 
the  cry  which  they  are  using  to-day,  with  the  greatest 
effect  upon  their  own  people,  viz..  that  the  public  schools 
are  "  godless." 

There  are  Roman  Catholics  who.  as  has  been  said,  are 
"more  Catliolic  tlian  Roman, "--men  who  have  much  of 


PEItlLS.  —  :;iiLIG10.N    AND    THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.      97 

the  American  spirit,  wlio  iiave  learned  in  large  meas- 
ure to  think  and  act  for  themselves  (and  who  are,  there- 
fore, rather  "off  color,"  as  Romanists).  Many  such 
Catholics  patronize  the  public  school,  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  will  continue  so  to  do.  Only  the  more  liberal- 
minded  will  dare  to  disregard  the  commands  of  the 
priests,  and  such,  I  take  it,  will  not  object  to  what  little 
religious  instruction  their  children  receive  in  the  public 
scliool. 

Of  course  the  mischief  which  the  parochial  schools  do 
will  be  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  children  they 
draw  off.  The  best  remedy  is  to  make  the  public 
schools  as  good  as  possible,  so  manifestly  and  so  vastly 
superior  that  many  Catholic  parents  will  refuse  to  sacri- 
fice the  interests  of  their  children  at  the  behest  of  the 
priest. 

It  may  be  remarked  in  passing  that  the  action  of  the 
hierarchy  in  establishing  parochial  schools,  and  the 
arguments  with  which  they  have  defended  that  action, 
may  have  an  unexpected  and  unwelcome  effect.  The 
prelates  of  the  Catholic  Church  have  of  late  taken  pains 
to  assert  that  Romanism  is  thoroughly  American  in 
spirit,  and  in  beautiful  harmony  with  American  institu- 
tions; but  when  they  insist  that  our  public  schools, 
which  are  among  the  most  cherished  of  our  institutions, 
and  deemed  essential  to  the  preservation  of  our  liberties, 
are  wholly  unfit  for  Catholic  children,  and  cannot  be 
attended  by  such  without  sin,  they  unintentionally 
acknowledge  and  publicly  declare  that  there  is  an  inher- 
ent conflict  between  Romanism  and  free  institutions. 
Every  American  recognizes  the  assimilating  and  Ameri- 
canizing power  of  the  public  school.  When,  therefore, 
the  Catholic  hierarchy  and  press  assert  that  the  only 
way  to  make  a  good  Catholic  out  of  a  child  is  to  keep 
him  out  of  the  public  school  and  separate  him  from 
American  children,  it  is  an  acknowledgment  that 
Romanism  is  un-American  and  represents  an  alien  civili- 
zation. 

When  the  full  force  of  this  acknowledgment  is  appre- 


98     PERILS. — RELIGION    AND   THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS. 

ciated,  it  will  tend  to  create  a  general  distrust  of  the 
Church,  and  to  alienate  'from  it  Catholics  who  have 
become  in  any  considerable  degree  Americanized. 

A  few  words  concerning  the  Catholic  claim  for  a 
division  of  the  school  funds,  and  we  will  leave  this 
branch  of  our  subject.  If  this  claim  were  granted,  a 
similar  claim  from  Lutherans  or  Episcopalians,  or  the 
many  parents  who  choose  to  send  their  children  to  pri- 
vate schools  could  not  be  denied.  Such  a  concession 
would  be  liable,  perhaps  likely,  to  result  in  the  deijletion 
and  final  destruction  of  the  public  school. 

But  the  question  is  not  simply  one  of  policy.  To 
grant  this  claim  would  be  to  violate  a  principle  in  the 
hearty  support  of  which  Aniericans  are  singidarly 
united,  viz.,  the  entire  separation  of  Church  and  State. 
At  this  point  the  Catholics  meet  us  with  the  argument 
that  the  public  schools  are  Protestant.  "Why  should 
the  State  support  Protestant  schools  and  not  Catholic? 
The  support  of  the  latter  would  be  no  more  in  violation 
of  the  aforesaid  principle  than  the  support  of  the 
former,  and  equity  demands  it."  The  argument  is  spe- 
cious. Its  fallacy  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  public  schools 
are  not  Protestant.  What  constitutes  a  school  Protest- 
ant? The  fact  that  the  teacher  is  a  Protestant  does  nut 
make  the  school  so  any  more  than  the  fact  that  Presi- 
dent Harrison  is  a  Pi-esbyterian  constitutes  the  United 
States  government  Presbyterian.  Nor  does  the  fact 
that  most  of  the  pupils  belong  to  Protestant  families 
make  the  school  denominational.  If  the  religious  pref- 
erence of  teachers  or  scholars  gave  denominational 
character  to  the  school,  the  public  schools,  in  many 
(piarters  of  our  large  cities,  would  be  emphatically 
Roman  Catholic.  But  no  Catholic  would  admit  tliat  any 
public  school  in  the  United  States  was  Catholic,  even 
though  the  teacher  and  every  scholar  were  a  Romanist, 
nor  would  it  be,  unless  distinctively  Roman  Catholic 
doctrine  were  taught.  Tlie  public  schools  are  not  Prot- 
estant, because  distinctively  Protestant  doctrines  are 
not  taught  in  them. 


PERILS.— KELIGION    AND    THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.      99 

When  the  public  fully  appreciates  the  fact  that  the 
Roman  Catholic  school  policy  is  fixed,  and  that  conces- 
sions are  useless,  it  would  not  be  strange  if  there  were  a 
tendency  developed  to  Protestantize,  the  public  schools'; 
but  against  this  we  must  caution  ourselves,  if  for  no 
other  reason,  because  in  the  eyes  of  the  average  voter  it 
would  make  valid  the  Catholic  argument  for  the  division 
of  the  school  fund ;  against  which  division  every  true 
American  must  set  his  face  without  variableness  or  the 
faintest  shadow  of  turning.  Remember  the  wise  words 
of  President  Garfield :  ^  "It  would  be  dangerous  to  our 
institutions  to  apply  any  portion  of  the  revenue  of  the 
nation  or  the  state  to  the  support  of  sectarian  schools ;  " 
and  those  of  General  Grant, 2  "Encourage  free  schools 
and  resolve  that  not  one  dollar  appropriated  to  them 
shall  be  applied  to  the  support  of  any  sectarian  school." 
The  second  theory  touching  religion  and  the  public 
schools  which  demands  our  attention  is  that  of  the  secu- 
larists, among  whom  are  counted  many  Christian  men 
as  well  as  all  Jews  and  agnostics. 

According  to  this  theory  the  province  of  the  State  is 
wholly  secular;  its  true  attitude  is  that  of  absolute  neu- 
trality toward  all  forms  of  religious  belief  and  unbelief; 
to  teach  religion  in  any  form  is  to  do  violence  to  the 
rights  of  certain  classes  of  citizens. 

The  Jewish  Exponent  ^  quotes  Rabbi  Calisch  as  say- 
mg:  "  The  public  schools  are  an  outgrowth  of  otu-  broad 
American  republicanism,  which,  in  the  interest  of  free- 
dom, forbids  any  union  or  partnership  of  Church  and 
State.  Hence,  in  the  name  of  the  Jewish  brotherhood 
all  over  this  country,  and  in  the  name  of  persons  of  dif- 
fering views  on  religious  matters  everywhere,  I  wish  to 
protest  against  the  manner  in  which  our  public  schools 
are  conducted.  It  is  a  favorite  claim  of  the  churches," 
he  continues,  "that  this  is  a  Christian  country,  and  this, 


1  Letter  of  Acceptance,  July  12,  1880. 

^  To  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  Des  Moines,  1876 

•'  August    16,  1889. 


J(Ki  i'i;i;ir,s. — ki:li(;io^  and  tiii;  I'l  iu.K'  schools. 

so  I'ar  iiH  it  is  conlined  to  the  church  instruction  or  fam- 
ily instruction,  is  unobjectionable  and  right.  The  idea 
of  Christ,  however,  is  not  confined  to  such  teaching. 
It  is,  with  all  its  reliigious  dependencies,  made  a  part  of 
our  public-school  instruction.  It  is  to  be  denounced  as 
in  violation  of  the  fundamental  theory  of  our  govern- 
ment. I  demand  in  the  name  of  justice  that  the  princi- 
ple of  law  designed  to  protect  all  in  their  religious  free- 
dom be  recognized." 

The  platform  of  the  Liberal  League  of  the  United 
States  contains  the  following:  "We  demand  that  all 
religious  services  now  sustained  bj^  the  go\'ernment 
shall  be  abolished,  and  especially  that  the  use  of  the 
Bible  in  the  public  schools,  whether  ostensibly  as  a  text- 
book or  avowedly  as  a  book  of  religious  worship,  shall 
be  prohibited." 

This  theory  of  the  secularists  is  built  on  a  wrong  applica- 
tion of  a  right  principle,  viz.,  the  complete  separation  of 
Church  and  State.  Of  all  the  great  exi)eriments  which 
are  being  tried  in  this  New  World,  none  is  more  distinc- 
tively American  than  the  entire  separation  of  Church 
and  State,  and  none  of  our  principles  has  more  abun- 
dantly justified  itself.  We  must  be  willing  to  follow  it 
wherever  logic  shall  require,  but  our  secularist  friends, 
being  compelled  to  go  with  it  one  mile,  go  with  it  twain. 
They  fail  to  distinguish,  it  seems  to  me,  between  church 
and  religion.  Rabbi  Isaacs,  in  the  Forum,  i  referring  to 
the  readings  of  a  proposed  manual  for  use  in  the  i)ublic 
schools,  says,  "They  are  distinctly  religious,  and  the 
State  cannot  sanction  religious  teachings  in  its  schools 
any  more  than  in  its  governmental  ollices.  Such  action 
is  entirely  beyond  its  province.  Church  and  State  must 
be  forever  separate."  As  if  the  use  of  religious  readings 
in  the  public  schools  comjjnjinised  that  i)rinciple. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  our  government  is,  and  has  always 
been,  religious.  Says  Chief  Justice  Shea,  "Our  own 
government,  and  the  laws  by  which  it  is  administered, 


PERILS.  —  UELIGIOX    AXD    THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS,    lOl 

are  in  every  part — legislative,  judicial,  and  executive- 
Christian  in  nature,  form,  and  purpose."  ^  In  his 
"Institutes  of  International  Law,"  Judge  Story  says, 
"  One  of  the  beautiful  traits  of  our  municipal  jurispru- 
dence is  that  Christianity  is  part  of  the  common  law 
from  which  it  seeks  the  sanction  of  its  rights,  and  by 
which  it  endeavors  to  regulate  its  doctrine."  Says  the 
great  interpreter  of  the  Constitution,  Webster:  "There 
is  nothing  we  look  for  with  more  certainty  than  the  gen- 
eral principle,  that  Christianity  is  part  of  the  law  of  the 

land general,  tolerant  Christianity,  independent 

of  sects  and  pai-ties."  ^  Many  other  authorities  to  the 
same  effect  might  be  cited. 

When  the  fathers  added  to  the  Constitution  the  princi- 
iMe  of  strict  separation  of  Church  and  State,  they  did 
not  intend  to  divorce  the  State  from  all  religion.  Says 
Judge  Story,  speaking  of  the  time  when  the  Constitution 
was  adopted,  "The  attempt  to  level  all  religions,  and 
make  it  a  matter  of  State  policy  to  hold  all  in  utter 
indifference,  Avould  have  created  universal  disapproba- 
tion, if  not  universal  indignation."  =^  The  principle  of 
the  separation  of  Church  and  State  undoubtedly  forbids 
sectarian  instruction  in  the  State  schools ;  but  we  have 
the  highest  legal  and  judicial  authority  for  saying  that 
it  does  not  forbid  undenominational  religious  teaching. 
"But,"  it  will  be  asked,  "  does  not  the  teaching  of  relig- 
ious doctrine  which  is  undenominational  violate  the 
rights  of  agnostics  quite  as  much  as  inculcating  the  dog- 
mas of  one  sect  wrongs  the  adherents  of  others? "  By  no 
means;  because  the  teaching  of  the  three  great  funda- 
mental doctrines  which  are  common  to  all  monotheistic 
religions  is  essential  to  the  perpetuity  of  free  institutions, 
while  the  inculcation  of  sectarian  dogmas  is  not. 
These  three  doctrines  are  that  of  the  existence  of  God, 


1  Nature  and  Form  of  the  American  Government,  p.  35. 

2  Webster's  Works,  VI.  p.  176. 

3  Commentaries  on  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  Boston,    1S33 
Subject  discussed  at  length  pp.  680  sq. 


102    PEltlLS.  —  RELIGION    AND   THE    f'lBLIC    SC1I00J..S. 

the  imtnortality  of  man  and  ma/i's  accountahility. 
These  doctrines  are  held  in  common  by  all  Protestants, 
Catholics  and  Jews.  There  are  comi^aratively  few  in 
this  country  who  do  not  hold  them;  and  the  c^iildren  of 
these  few  should  be  taught  these  fundamental  trutlis 
of  religion,  not  because  agnostics  are  in  the  minority, 
for  questions  of  conscience  can  bo  settled  neither  by 
majorities  nor  by  authority',  but  because  the  necessities 
of  the  State  are  above  individual  rights.  The  State, 
when  its  necessities  require,  does  not  hesitate  to  draft 
into  the  army  a  citizen  who  has  conscientious  scruples 
against  war.  The  government,  utterly  disregarding 
individual  conscience,  inclinations  and  rights,  forces 
liim  away  from  his  occupation  and  family,  and  exposes 
him  to  injury  and  death.  • 

The  question  is  not,  as  some  would  s(>om  to  think, 
whether  religion  has  a  right  to  be  taught  in  the  public 
schools,  but  whether  the  govennnent  has  a  right  to  teach 
it.  That  right  is  beyond  question,  if  the  necessities  of 
the  State  require.     Let  us  look  at  this  more  closely. 

"  If  there  is  any  incontestable  maxim  on  the  rights  of 
nations,  it  is  that  laid  down  by  the  illusti'ious  Bossuet, 
in  his  defense  of  the  declaration  of  the  clergj-  of  France, 
in  H)S2,  that  all  sovereign  ]iower  is  sufficient  to  itself, 
and  is  provided  by  God  with  all  the  power  that  is  neces- 
sary for  its  own  preservation."  ^  Self-preservation  is 
the  first  law  of  states  as  of  individuals.  If  the  State  has 
the  riglit  to  exist,  manifestly  it  has  the  right  to  do  or 
require  whatever  is  necessary-  to  per]ietuate  its  existence. 
To  refuse  this  right  to  the  State  is  to  attack  its  life.  As 
Shylock  said : — 

"  Yon  take  iny  lioiise,  when  .yon  do  take  the  prop 
That  (hitli  siistahi  my  house  ;  you  ^aki-  my  hfe 
Wlitii  you  (111  tak<(  tht-  mwiiis  whi^-icliy  I  Hve." 

No  one  will  deny  that  popular  intelligence  is  essential 
to  successful  popidar  .i;t)vcnnnent;  and  iioj)ular  morality 

I  A  Glimpse  of  the  Great  Secret  Society,  p.  43. 


PERILS. — RELIGION    AND   THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS,    10,S 

is  no  less  a  political  necessity  than  intelligence.  These 
statements  may  be  regarded  as  axiomatic.  Here  is  the 
bed  rock  on  which  rest  compulsory  educational  laws,  the 
right  of  taxation  for  the  public  schools,  and  the  right  and 
duty  of  giving  religious  instruction  in  them. 

Our  common  school  system  is  not  based  on  the  doc- 
trine that  each  child  is  entitled  to  an  education.  So  far 
as  individual  right  is  concerned,  under  our  theory  of 
government  a  man  is  as  much  entitled  to  demand  of  the 
State  capital  on  which  to  begin  business,  as  to  demand 
for  his  children  that  intellectual  capital  which  we  call 
an  education.  Both  might  be  done  in  a  socialistic  state, 
but  our  government  is  neither  socialistic  nor  "paternal." 
Why  does  the  State  take  money  from  your  pocket  to 
educate  my  child?  Not  on  the  ground  that  an  education 
is  a  good  thing  for  him,  but  on  the  ground  that  his  igno- 
rance would  be  dangerous  to  the  State.  This  may  be 
"low  ground,"  but  it  is  not  marshy.  In  like  manner, 
the  State  must  teach  in  its  schools  fundamental  religious 
truths,  not  because  the  child  should  know  them  in  prep- 
aration for  a  future  existence,— the  State  is  not  con- 
cerned with  the  eternal  welfare  of  its  citizens,— but 
because  immorality  is  perilous  to  the  State,  and  popular 
morality  cannot  be  secured  without  the  sanctions  of 
religion.  Of  course  the  advocacy  of  religion  on  the 
ground  that  it  serves  as  moral  police  is  not  very  exalted : 
but  if  our  ground  is  to  be  broad  enough  for  upwards  of 
60,000,000  people  to  stand  on,  it  must  needs  be  low.  The 
top  of  the  pyramid  is  narrow. 

Secularists  deny  that  religious  teaching  is  essential  to 
moral  instruction.  It  is  claimed  that  it  makes  no  prac- 
tical difference  whether  happiness  or  utility  or  the  will 
of  God  be  the  ground  of  morality ;  that  whatever  view 
is  taken  of  the  metaphysical  ground  of  right,  all  theo- 
ries end  in  adopting  the  same  practical  virtues,  which 
may  therefore  be  taught  quite  independently  of  religion. 
Yes,  a  child  may  be  taught  that  this  is  wrong  and  that  is 
right  without  any  reference  to  God,  but  the  child  must 
have  moral  tramitig  as  well  as  moral  instruction;  and 


104    PERILS. — RELIGION   AND    THE    PUJLlC   SCHOOLS. 

moral  training  is  addressed  to  the  will,  and  the  Avill 
must  be  influenced  by  motives.  The  lying  tliat  is  done  by 
children  in  this  countr}-  is  not  due  to  ignorance  of  the 
fact  that  lying  is  wrong,  but  to  the  fact  that  their  wills 
have  not  been  sufficiently  strengthened  by  motives  to 
truthfulness.  We  do  not  claim  that  religion  mu«t  be 
taught  in  connection  with  morals,  on  the  ground  that  it 
affords  the  only  adequate  basis  of  the  science  of  ethics, 
for  the  children  are  not  taught  the  science  of  ethics;  but 
on  the  ground  that  religion  alone  affords  adequate 
motives  to  the  practice  of  moral  precepts.  The  philos- 
opher Cousin,  in  a  report  upon  Public  Instruction  in 
Germany,  referring  to  the  fact  that  it  is  based  on  the 
Bible,  says,  "Every  wise  man  will  rejoice  in  this;  for, 
with  three-fourths  of  the  population,  morality  can  be 
instilled  only  through  the  medium  of  religion."  Presi- 
dent Woolsey,  in  a  pai)er  on  The  Bible  in  the  Public 
Schools,^  said:  "We  can,  in  a  system  of  morals,  con- 
sidered in  the  abstract,  separate  religion  from  it,  but  in 
the  practical  part,  even  of  a  book  on  ethics,  there  is  an 
imavoidable  necessity  of  bringing  the  two  into  connec- 
tion." And  Daniel  Webster,  in  a  Fourth  of  July  oration, 
said:  "To  preserve  the  government  we  nuist  also 
preserve  morals.  Morality  rests  on  religion :  if  you 
destroy  the  fomidation,  the  superstructure  nuist  fall. 
When  the  public  mind  becomes  vitiated  and  corrupt, 
laws  are  a  nullity  and  constitutions  are  waste  paper." 

There  are  of  course  individuals  who  are  agnostics  or 
atheists  and  yet  moral  in  life,  but  many  if  not  most  of 
these  had  Christian  training  in  childhood,  under  which 
their  habits  became  fixed.  This  is  a  very  different 
thing  from  teaching  a  child  that  there  is  no  God  oi- 
leaving  him  uninstructed.  And  though  there  are  indi- 
vidual atheists  who  are  moral,  there  are  no  moral  iiifidd 
communities.  Plutarch  says,  you  remember,  "TIkic 
never  was  a  state  of  atheists.  You  may  travel  all  ovci- 
the  world,  and  you  may  find  cities  without  walls,  with- 

•  Read  before  the  Ntitionnl  Coiiiuil  of  ConfrivKntioiial  Churches,  1877. 


PERILS. — RELIGION    AXD   THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    105 

out  king,  without  mint,  without  theater  oi-  gymnasium ; 
but  you  will  nowhere  find  a  city  without  a  god,  without 
prayer,  without  oracle,  without  sacrifice.  Sooner  may  a 
city  stand  -without  foundations  than  a  state  without 
belief  in  the  gods.  This  is  the  bond  of  all  society,  and  the 
pillar  of  all  legislation."  Permit  me  to  add  that  oft- 
quoted  passage  from  Washington's  Farewell  Address, 
"  Whatever  may  be  conceded  to  the  influence  of  refined 
education  on  minds  of  peculiar  structure,  reason  and 
experience  both  forbid  us  to  expect  that  national 
morality  can  prevail  in  exclusion  of  religious  prin- 
ciple." 

All  Christian  secularists  hold  of  course  that  the  chil- 
dren should  receive  religious  instruction,  but  tell  us  that 
it  should  be  furnished  by  the  home  and  the  Sunday 
school.  But  how  are  those  children  to  be  instructed 
who  ai-e  in  no  Sunday  school,  most  of  whom  doubtless 
have  little  or  no  religious  training  in  their  homes? 
Assuming  that  two-thirds  of  all  the  Catholic  children 
are  in  their  Sunday  schools,  it  leaves  about  one-half  of 
tlie  children  and  youth  in  the  United  States  of  school 
age,  who  are  in  no  Sunday  school  of  any  kind.  Will 
the  secularists  tell  us  how  these  children  are  to  be 
taught  "reverence  for  God,  reverence  for  man,  rever- 
ence for  woman,  reverence  for  law,  which,"  it  is  said, 
"  ai-e  the  pillars  of  the  Republic,"  unless  they  are  tavight 
it  in  the  public  school?  It  is  not  enough  that  one-half 
our  children  be  instructed  in  the  knowledge  of  God; 
not  enough  that  one-half  only  reverence  divine,  and 
therefore  human,  authority;  not  enough  that  one-half 
are  instructed  in  morals  whose  motives  include  the 
solemn  sanctions  of  religion.  Such  a  division  of  our 
population  would  leave  our  destiny  in  a  hesitating 
balance.  Popular  government  is  by  majorities.  Free 
institutions  are  safe  only  when  the  great  majority  of 
the  people  have  that  reverence  for  law  which  can  spring 
only  from  reverence  for  God.  The  most  striking  defect 
of  young  America  is  the  lack  of  reverence.  The  spirit 
of  independence  and  sense  of  equality  are  unfriendly  to 


lOG    PKHILS. — RELIOIOX    AXD    TlIF    ITRLIC    SCHOOLS. 

it.  Our  youth  have  little  reverence  for  their  elders,  for 
authority,  for  law,  for  rulers.  Our  irreverence  as  a 
peojile  is  noted  by  our  critics.  Says  Matthew  Arnold  in 
his  famous  studj^  of  American  civilization  which 
appeared  just  before  his  death,  in  the  Nineteenth 
Centui'ij :  "If  there  be  a  discipline  in  which  the  Ameri- 
cans are  wanting,  it  is  the  discipline  of  awe  and  respect. 
An  austere  and  intense  religion  imposed  on  the  Puritan 
founders  the  discipline  of  respect ;  .  .  .  .  but  this  relig- 
ion is  dying  out."  An  eminent  English  clergyman,  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Dale,  who  visited  this  country  some  years  ago, 
wrote  on  his  return  a  little  sketch  of  his  impressions  of 
America,  in  which,  after  referring  to  the  fact  that  the 
children  of  Jonathan  Edwards  always  rose  from  their 
seats  when  their  father  or  mother  came  into  the  room,  ho 
gravely  informs  the  British  public  that  this  custom  does 
not  exist  in  any  of  the  families  that  showed  him  hospi- 
tality! There  is  little  reverence,  and  therefore  little 
authority,  in  many  American  homes,  except  that  which 
is  exercised  by  children  over  their  parents.  The  spi;-it 
of  self-assertion,  which  is  characteristicall}-  American, 
easily  becomes  impatient  of  restraint  and  often  grows 
lawless.  There  are  no  children  in  all  Christendom  who 
stand  in  so  great  need,  civil  need,  of  a  sense  of  divine 
authority  as  American  children.  Many  teachers  and 
school  officials  whose  positions  afford  exceptional  oppor- 
tunities of  observation  might  be  quoted  to  show  how 
widespread  among  the  young  is  tlu'  sjiirit  of  irreverence 
and  lawlessness.  A  word  from  the  school  commissioner 
of  Rhode  Island  must  suflice.  He  says,  "The  spirit  of 
s(;lf  a.ssertion,  of  insubordination,  of  dislike  to  all  re 
straint,  of  o])en  antagonism  to  law,— all  this  is  far  more 
prevalent  to-day  than  ever  before." 

All  this  most  vitally  concerns  the  State.  Here  is  an 
evil  which  is  great  and  prophetic  of  evil  greater.  How 
shall  the  State  apply  a  remedy  ?  The  school  is  the  place 
where  she  may  touch  the  young  with  molding  hand. 
Shall  she  insjjire  them  with  a  s])irit  of  reverence  by 
secularizing  the  schools  ?  l)y  pui-giiig  text  books  of  every 


PERILS. — RELIGION    AND   THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    107 

religious  reference  ?  by  forbidding  the  children  to  knoAv 
through  their  teachers  that  there  be  a  God? 

How  shall  our  American  youth  be  taught  reverence, 
without  which  our  future  is  insecure  ?  From  history  ? 
The  present  generation  has  become  ix-reverent  of  the  past. 
We  are  become,  in  the  name  of  science,  a  race  of  icono- 
clasts. Whatever  is  "gray  with  time,"  so  far  from 
being  ' '  godlike  "  and  therefore  worthy  of  veneration,  is 
subjected  to  the  focal  light  of  scientific  methods  of 
investigation.  In  thousands  of  instances  the  new  has 
supplanted  the  old,  simply  because  it  deserved  to,  was 
incomparably  better.  So  that  in  the  popular  mind  there 
has  sprung  up  a  sort  of  contempt  for  the  past. 

Shall  our  youth  learn  revei'ence  from  the  study  of 
Nature  ?  If  Nature  is  studied  not  as  a  revelation  of  the 
Infinite  One,— her  processes  his  methods  ;  her  harmonies 
his  reason  ;  her  beauties  his  thoughts  ;  her  wonders  his 
wisdom  ;  her  forces  his  power  ;  her  laws  his  will  ;  if 
Nature  is  studied  not  as  the  drapery  which  hides  and  yet 
reveals  the  Infinite,  but  simply  as  a  magazine  of  supplies, 
whence  we  may  enrich  ourselves,  a  quarry  from  which 
we  may  hew  a  mighty  materialistic  civilization  ;  if  her 
laws  are  to  be  obeyed  only  that  they  may  be  mastered  ; 
if  her  forces  are  to  be  studied  only  that  they  may  be 
conquered, — how  are  our  youth  to  learn  reverence  from 
the  study  of  Nature,  and  not  rather  learn  proudly  to 
glorify  man  as  Nature's  master  ? 

In  his  "  Wilhelm  Meister,"  Goethe  expresses  the  opinion 
that  reverence  is  not  innate,  but  must  be  inculcated  in 
order  to  exist.  If  reverence  is  to  be  taught,  who  shall 
do  it,  if  not  the  State  ?  And  how  can  the  State  teach 
reverence  to  American  children  without  teaching  them 
of  God  and  their  accountability  to  him  ? 

We  are  building  a  nation.  We  cannot  build  perma- 
nent institutions  on  mere  intelligence,  smartness,  push, 
self-assertion.     There  must  be  a  profound  respect  for  law. 

"  The  keystone  of  the  world's  wide  arch, 
The  one  sustaining  and  sustained  by  all; 
Which,  if  it  fall,  brings  all  in  ruin  down . " 


108    PERILS. — UKLIGIOX    A^S'l)   THE    PL  BLIC    SCHOOLS. 

There  must  be  a  fixed  habit  of  obedience  to  rightful 
authority.  Such  obedience  on  the  part  of  the  many  can 
never  be  secured  by  teaching  a  religionless  moraUty ;  as 
well  might  we  expect  to  run  a  locon'iotive  with  light  or 
to  propel  an  ocean  steamer  by  means  of  her  compass. 

If,  then,  the  State,  which  has  the  right  to  exist,  has  the 
right  to  perpetuate  its  existence,  and  if  jiopidar  morality 
is  essential  to  the  perpetuity  of  free  institutions,  and  if 
a  knowledge  of  the  fundamental  truths  of  religion  is 
essential  to  popular  morality,  then  has  the  State  the 
right  to  inculcate  those  truths. 

As  individuals  we  are  of  course  bound  to  respect 
religious  principles,  however  much  they  may  differ 
from  our  own,  and  we  must  be  patient  with  religious  prej- 
udices, however  blind  and  bigcjted ;  but  if  self-preserva- 
tion be  a  duty  as  well  as  a  right,  then  is  it  the  duty  of 
the  State  to  teach  these  fundamental  religious  truths  (not 
sectarian  dogmas)  to  its  children  even  though  tlie 
agnostic  parent  objects,  exactly  as  it  is  the  right  and 
duty  of  the  State  to  take  the  boy  from  the  plow,  the 
mine  or  the  mill  and  put  him  in  scliool,  if  need  be. 
against  the  protest  of  tin;  parent,  not  for  the  good  of  the 
boy,  not  because  the  parent  has  no  i-ights  which  we 
as  individuals  are  bound  to  respect,  but  because  the 
necessities  of  the  State  are  superior  to  individual  rights. 

Sectarian  df)gmasare  not  essential  to  jwpidar  morality. 
The  State,  therefore,  has  no  right  to  teach  them,  and  to 
do  so  would  be  radically  wrong  in  principle,  and  oppres- 
sive to  many  citizens. i    It  is  objected  by  some  that  this 


1  The  writer  lin-s  never  lieard  of  a  public  school  in  wbich  a  Protestant 
catec-hism  was  used  or  any  distinctively  Protestant  doctrine  was  tantrht. 
But  Rev.  Dr.  0.  O.  Brown,  of  Dnbnqne,  Iowa,  states  that  the  Ronian  Catholic 
cat4><-histn  is  tanuht  as  a  n-Rular  study,  in  school  hours,  in  the  i.ul)lic  schools 
nt  Key  West,  New  Malory,  Prairie  Creek,  nernard,  Will.ii,  Holy  Cross  and 
Tet«'  <le  Morle,  all  of  that  state. 

"I  myself,"  he  says.  "  have  seen  it  in  two  of  these  schools  and  heard  a 
reeiljitlon  at  rejrnlar  school  hours."  "At  Spruce  Creek,  Sprint'  Hro..k, 
I,a  M.itte,  Otter  Creek.  Hiitler.  District  No.  .3  and  many  other  places  in 
Jackson  Co.,  a  similar  slate  of  ihiinrs  ..xist.s."-r/i<'  ruhlic  SrhonU  <i,„t  'n,<ir 
Foes.     Fifth  Addres.s. 


PElilLS.— KELRUON    AND    THE    PLJJLIC    SCHOOLS.    100 

distinction  cannot  be  sustained.  Archbishop  Ireland, 
in  his  address  to  the  National  Educational  Association, 
(St.  Paul,  July,  1890)  said :  ' '  There  is  and  there  can  be 
no  positive  religious  teaching  where  the  pi'inciple  of  non- 
sectarianism  rules."  But  over  against  this  opinion  we 
will  cite  that  of  Daniel  Webster,  who  says :  ' '  This 
objection  to  the  multitude  and  difference  of  sects  is  but 
the  old  story,  the  old  infidel  argument.  It  is  notorious 
that  there  are  certain  great  religious  truths  which  are 
admitted  and  believed  by  all  Christians.  All  believe  in 
the  existence  of  a  God.  All  believe  in  the  immortality  of 
the  soul.  All  believe  in  the  responsibility  in  another 
world  for  our  conduct  in  this.  .  .  .  And  cannot  all 
these  great  truths  be  taught  to  children  without  their 
ininds  being  perplexed  with  clashing  doctrines  and  sec- 
tarian controversies?    Most  certainly  they  can."  i 

Such  an  amount  of  religious  instruction  would  not  be 
deemed  adequate  in  an  ideal  society.  But  we  must  deal 
with  society  as  it  actually  exists,  and  existing  society  is 
not  ideal.  As  long  as  men  think  differently  and  have 
different  and  conflicting  interests,  society  must  be  a  com- 
promise. 

Of  course  parents  and  the  Church  maj'  give  as  mucli 
added  instruction  as  they  wish,  but  for  the  State  to  go 
beyond  the  inculcation  of  the  fundamental  truths  com- 
mon to  all  monotheistic  religions  would  probably  lead 
to  the  division  of  the  school  fund,  which  would  be  a 
great  calamity.  On  the  other  hand,  to  secularize  the 
schools  is  to  invite  the  corruption  of  popular  morals  and 
thus  endanger  the  very  foundations  of  our  free  institu- 
tions. Moreover,  the  secularists  are  unwittingly  play- 
ing into  the  hands  of  those  who  desire  a  division  of 
the  school  funds  and  the  destruction  of  our  existing  school 
system.  Most  Pi-otestant  immigrants  have  been  trained 
in  denominational  schools.  The  Lutherans,  who  number 
1,000,000,  naturally  incline  to  them;  and  there  are  many 
other  Protestants  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  neces- 

1  Webster's  Works,  Vol.  VI.  p.  161. 


110    PERILS.  —  RKLIGION    AND    THK    Vl'V.lAC    yCUOOLS. 

sity  of  religious  instruction  in  the  seliools  that  rather 
than  see  them  secularized,  they  would  favor  denomina- 
tional schools  supported  by  the  State. 

The  great  danger  now  is  that  between  the  upper  and 
nether  millstones  of  Romanism  and  Secularism,  all 
religion  will  be  ground  out  of  our  public  schools.  And 
this  danger  is  greater  in  the  West  than  in  the  East,  for, 
as  we  have  already  seen,  Romanism  is  relatively  much 
stronger  west  of  the  Mississippi  than  east  of  it,  and  as 
we  shall  see  later  (Chap.  XII.)  evangelical  church  mem- 
bership is  much  weaker. 


Area  of  France  and  Great  Britain  Combined 

325,- 

000 

Square  Miles. 

Good  Agriciilt 

mil  L 

ind  in  the  United  States, 

Hcld 

by  Mormons 

350,()00  Square  Miles. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PERILS.  — MORMONISM. 

The  people  of  the  United  States  are  more  sensible  of 
the  disgrace  of  Mornionisni  than  of  its  danger.  The  civ- 
ilized woiid  wonders  that  such  a  hideous  caricature  of 
the  Christian  religion  should  have  appeared  in  this  most 
enlightened  land ;  that  such  an  anachronism  sliould  have 
been  produced  by  the  most  progressive  civilization ;  that 
the  people  who  most  honor  Avomankind  should  be  the 
ones  to  inflict  on  her  this  deep  humiliation  and  outra- 
geous wrong.  Polygamy,  as  the  most  striking  feature  of 
tlie  Mormon  monster,  attracts  the  public  eye.  It  is  this 
which  at  the  same  time  arouses  interest  and  indignation ; 
and  it  is  because  of  this  that  Europe  points  at  us  the  fin- 
ger of  shame.     Polygamy  has  been  the  issue  between 


1  i  ;2  P  !•:  U 1 LS.  — M  O  U  M  O  X  I S  M . 

'.lie  Mormons  and  the  United  States  government.  It  is 
this  which  has  prevented  the  admission  of  Utah  as  a 
state.  It  is  this  against  which  Congress  has  legislated. 
And  yet,  polygamy  is  not  an  essential  part  of  Mormon- 
ism;  it  was  an  after-thought;  not  a  root,  but  a  graft. 
There  is  a  large  and  growing  sect  of  the  Mormons,^  not 
located  in  Utah,  which  would  exconmiunicate  a  member 
for  practicing  it.  Nor  is  polygamy  a  very  large  part  of 
Mornionism.  Only  a  small  minority  practice  it.  More- 
over, it  can  never  become  general  among  the  "saints." 
for  nature  has  legislated  on  that  point,  and  her  laws  ad- 
mit of  no  evasions.  In  Utah,  as  elsewhere,  there  are 
more  males  born  than  females;  and,  in  the  membership 
<»f  the  Mormon  Church  there  ai-e  several  thousand  more 
men  than  women. 

Polygamy  might  be  utterly  destroyed,  without  se- 
riously weakening  Mormonism.  It  has  served  to 
strengthen  the  system  somewhat  by  thoroughly  entan- 
gling its  victim  in  the  Mormon  net ;  for  a  polygamist  is 
not  apt  to  apostatize.  He  has  nndtii)lied  his  "  hostages 
to  fortune;  "  he  cannot  abandon  heli)less  wives  and  chil- 
di-en  as  easily  as  he  might  turn  away  from  pernicious 
doctrines.  Moreover,  he  lias  arrayed  himself  agahist 
the  government  with  law-breakers.  Franklin's  saying 
to  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
is  appropriately  put  into  the  mouths  of  this  class: 
"If  we  don't  hang  together,  we  shall  all  hang  sep- 
arately." Still,  it  may  be  (piestioned  whether  polygamy 
lias  added  more  of  stren}:;th  or  weakness;  for  its  evil  re- 
sults doubtless  have  often  led  the  children  of  such  mar- 
riages, and  many  others,  to  question  the  faith,  and  finally 
abandon  it. 

What,  then,  is  the  real  strength  of  Mormonism?  It  is 
(•(•(•l.'siastical  despotism  which  holds  it  together,  unifies 
it.  and  makes  it  strong.  The  Mormon  Church  is  prob- 
ably the  most  complete  organization  in  the  world.     To 


rhe  Jo8ep1iit«*s.  sratt«»rod  Miroiisrli  the  ITnitetl  States,  are  law-abiding  cit- 
izens. (Iflu.lt'd.  but  iiiofTeiisivo.     TlieV  an'  n..w  snid  to  number  as,0O0. 


PERILS. — MORMONISM.  113 

look  after  a  Mormon  population  of  165,218  there  are  31,- 
577  officials,    or  one  to  every   five  persons. ^    And,    so 
highly  centralized  is  the  power,  that  all  of  these  threads 
of  authority  are  gathered  into  one  hand,  that  of  the  pres- 
ident.    The  priesthood,  of  which  he  is  the  head,  claim  the 
right  to  control  in  all  things  religious,  social,  industrial, 
and  political.     Brigham  Young  asserted  his  right    to 
manage  in  every  particular,  "  from  the  setting  up  of  a 
stocking  to  the  ribbons  on  a  woman's  bonnet."     Here  is 
a  claim  to  absolute  and  universal  rule,  which   is  cheer- 
fully conceded  by  every  orthodox  "saint."    Mormonism 
therefore,  is  not  simply  a  church,  but  a  state;    an  "  im- 
perium  in  imperio  "  ruled  by  a  man  who  is  prophet, 
priest,  king  and  pope,  all  in  one— a  pope,  too,  who  is  not 
one  whit  less  infallible  than  he  who  Avears   the  tiara. 
And,  as  one  would  naturally  expect  of  an  American 
pope,  and  especially  of  an  enterprising  Western  pope,  he 
out-popes  the  Eoman  by  holding  familiar  conversations 
with  the  Almighty,  and  getting,  to  order,  new  revelations 
direct  from  Jieaven ;    and,  another  advantage  which  is 
more  material,   he  keeps  a  firm  hold  of  his   temporal 
power.      Indeed,  it  looks  as  if  the  spiritual  were    being 
subordinated  to  the  temporal.      Rev.   W.   M.  Barrows, 
D.  D.,  after  a  residence  at  the  Mormon  capital  of  nearly 
eight  years,  said :  2     "  There  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  becom- 
ing less  and  less  a  religious  power,  and  more  and  more  a 
political  power.     The  first   Mormon  preachers  were  ig- 
norant fanatics,  but  most  of  them  were  honest,  and  their 
words  carried  a  weight  that  sincerity  always  carries, 
even  in  a  bad  cause.     The  preachers  now  have  the  rav- 
ings of  the  Sibyl,  but  lack  the  inspiration.     Their  talk 
sounds  hollow;  the  ring  of  sincerity  is  gone.      But  their 
eyes  are  dazzled  now  with  the  vision  of  an  earthly  em- 


'  In  1889  the  Mormon  Church  officially  reported  its  officers  aiul  member- 
ship in  all  the  world  as  follows:  Apostles,  13;  patriarchs,  70;  hig-h  priests 
3,919;  elders,  11,805;  priests,  2,069;  teachers,  2,292;  deacons.  11.610;  families' 
81,899;  children  under  eight  years  of  age,  49.303;  total  Mormon  population 
(which  does  not  include  the  "  Josephites  "),  165,218. 

«  Address  at  the  Home  Missionary  Anniversary,  in  Chicago,  June  8,  1881. 


114  PERILS, — MORMONISM. 

pire.  They  have  gone  back  to  tht?  old  Jewish  idea  of  a 
temporal  kingdom,  and  they  are  endeavoring  to  set  up 
such  a  kingdom  in  the  valleys  of  Utah,  and  Idaho  and 
Montana,  Wyoming,  Colorado  and  New  Mexico,  Arizona 
and  Nevada." 

If  there  be  any  doubt  as  to  the  designs  of  the  Mor- 
mons, let  the  testimony  of  Bishop  Lunt  be  conclusive  on 
that  point.  He  said  in  1880:  "Like  a  grain  of  mustard- 
seed  was  the  truth  planted  in  Zion ;  and  it  is  destined  to 
spread  through  all  the  world.  Our  Church  has  been  or- 
ganized only  fifty  years,  and  yet  behold  its  wealth  and 
power.  This  is  our  year  of  jubilee.  We  look  forward 
with  perfect  confidence  to  the  day  wlien  Ave  will  hold 
the  reins  of  the  United  States  government.  That  is  our 
present  temporal  aim ;  after  that,  we  expect  to  control 
the  continent."  When  told  that  such  a  scheme  seemed 
rather  visionary,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Utah  cannot 
gain  recognition  as  a  state,  the  Bishop  replied :  "Do  not 
be  deceived;  we  are  looking  after  that.  We  do  not  care 
for  these  territorial  officials  sent  out  to  govei-n  us.  They 
are  nobodies  here.  We  do  not  recognize  them,  neither 
do  we  fear  any  practical  interference  by  Congress.  We 
intend  to  have  Utah  recognized  as  a  state.  To-day  we 
hold  the  balance  of  political  power  in  Idaho,  we  rule 
Utah  absolutely,  and  in  a  very  short  time  we  will  hold 
the  balance  of  power  in  Arizona  and  Wyoming.  A  few 
months  ago,  President  Snow  of  St.  George,  set  out  with 
a  band  of  priests,  for  an  extensive  tour  through  Colorado 
New  Mexico,  Wyoming,  Montana,  Idaho  and  Arizona  to 
proselyte.  We  also  expect  to  send  missionaries  to  some 
parts  of  Nevada,  and  we  design  to  plant  colonies  in 
Washington  Territory. 

"In  the  past  six  months  we  have  sent  more  than  3,000 
of  our  people  down  through  the  Sevier  Valley  to  settle  in 
Arizona,  and  the  movement  still  progresses.  All  tliis 
will  build  up  for  us  a  political  power,  which  will,  in 
time,  comix'l  the  homage  of  the  demagogues  of  tlu; 
country.  Our  vote  is  solid,  and  will  remain  so.  It  will 
be  thrown  where  the  most  good   will   be   accomplished 


PERILS. — MOUMONlSil.  115 

for  the  church.  Then,  in  some  great  poHtical  crisis,  the 
two  present  pohtical  parties  will  bid  for  our  support. 
Utah  will  then  be  admitted  as  a  polygamous  state,  and 
the  other  territories  we  have  peacefully  subjugated  will 
be  admitted  also.  We  will  then  hold  the  balance  of 
power,  and  will  dictate  to  the  country.  In  time,  our 
principles,  which  are  of  sacred  origin,  will  spread 
throughout  the  United  States.  We  possess  the  ability 
to  turn  the  political  scale  in  any  particular  community 
we  desire.  Our  people  are  obedient.  When  they  are 
called  by  the  Church,  they  promptly  obey.  They  sell 
their  houses,  lands  and  stock,  and  remove  to  any  part  of 
the  country  the  Church  may  direct  them  to.  You  can 
imagine  the  results  which  wisdom  may  bring  about, 
with  the  assistance  of  a  church  organization  like  ours." 

Since  these  words  were  uttered  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment has  made  itself  felt  in  "Zion,"  and  its  officers 
are  no  longer  ' '  nobodies "  in  Utah ;  but  the  astute 
bishop  does  not  over-estimate  the  effectiveness  of  the 
Mormon  Church  as  a  colonizer.  An  order  is  issued  by 
the  authorities  that  a  certain  district  shall  furnish  so 
many  hundred  emigrants  for  Arizona  or  Idaho.  The 
families  are  drafted,  so  many  from  a  ward ;  and  each 
ward  or  district  equips  its  own  quota  with  wagons, 
animals,  pi'ovisions,  implements,  seed  and  the  like. 
Thus  the  Mormon  president  can  mass  voters  here  or 
there  about  as  easily  as  a  general  can  move  his  troops. 

By  means  of  this  systematic  colonization  the  Mor- 
mons have  gained  possession  of  vast  tracts  of  land,  and 
now  "hold  almost  all  the  soil  fit  for  agriculture  from 
the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Sierra  Nevada,  or  an  area 
not  less  than  500  miles  by  700,  making  350,000  square 
miles  "  ^ ;  that  is  one-sixth  of  the  entire  acreage  between 
the  Mississippi  and  Alaska.  In  this  extended  region  it 
is  designed  to  plant  a  Mormon  population  sufficiently 
numerous  to  control  it.     With  this  in  view,  the  Church 


•  Rev.  D.  L.  Leonard,  late  Home  Missionary  Superintendent  for  Utah, 
Idaho,  Montana  and  West  Wyoming. 


110  I'KKILS. — MOKMUNISM. 

Bends  out  from  200  to  400  missionuries  a  year,  most  of 
whom  labor  in  Europe.  They  generally  return  after 
two  yeairs  of  service  at  their  own  charges.  In  1849  the 
"Perpetual  Emigration  Fund"  was  founded  for  the  pur- 
pose of  assisting  converts  who  were  too  poor  to  leach 
"  Zion  "  unaided.  During  the  first  ten  years  after  the 
founding  of  this  fund  the  annual  average  was  750;  for 
the  next  decade  it  was  2,000;  from  1880  to  1885  the 
number  ranged  from  2,500  to  3,000;  since  1885  it  has 
gradually  decreased.  The  losses  by  apostasy  *  are  many, 
but  are  more  than  covered  by  the  munber  of  converts, 
while  the  natural  increase  of  the  Church  by  the  growth 
of  the  family  is  exceedingly  large.  Furthermore,  to  the 
growing  power  of  multiplying  numbers  is  added  that  of 
rapidly  increasing  wealth.  The  Mormons  are  industri- 
ous— a  lazy  man  cannot  enter  their  heaven — and  the 
tithing  of  the  increase  adds  constantly  to  the  vast  sums 
already  gathered  in  the  grasping  hands  of  the  hiei-archy. 
The  Mormon  delegate  to  Congress,  who  carries  a  hun- 
dred thousand  votes  in  one  hand,  and  millions  of  cor- 
ruj>tion  money  in  the  other,  will  prove  a  dangerous  man 
in  Washington,  unless  politicians  grow  strangely  virtu- 
ous, and  there  are  fewer  itching  palms  twenty  years 
hence. 

Those  best  acquainted  with  IMormonism  seem  most 
sensible  of  the  danger  which  it  threatens.  The  pastors 
of  churches  and  principals  of  schools  in  Salt  Lake  City, 


'  We  may  learn  ere  long  that  there  is  as  little  occasion  for  congratulation 
over  Mormon  aposta.sy  as  over  Roman  Catholic.  The  Mormon,  in  his  men- 
tal make-ui).  is  a  distinct  typo.  There  are  men  in  every  community  who 
were  born  for  the  Mormon  Cliurch.  Jjet  one  of  the  mis.sionaries  of  the 
"  Saints "  appear,  and  ho  attracts  this  class  as  naturally  as  a  magnet 
attr.icts  iron  filings  in  a  handful  of  sand.  They  are  waiting  to  hear  and 
believe  some  new  thing;  they  are  driven  about  by  every  wind  of  doctrine; 
they  have  probably  been  members  of  several  dilTerent  religious  denomi- 
nations; they  are  credulous  and  superstitions,  and  are  easily  led  in  the 
direction  of  their  inclinations;  they  love  reasoning,  but  Imte  rea.son;  they 
are  capable  of  a  blind  devotion,  and  strongly  incline  to  fanaticism.  In  a 
word,  they  are  cranky.  A  church  largely  made  up  of  such  material  will,  of 
course,  multiply  apostates.  The  Mormon  Church  is  a  machine  which  manu- 
factures tinder  for  anarchistic  fire. 


PEllILS. — MOEMONISM.  117 

in  an  address  to  American  citizens,  say:^  "We  recog- 
nize the  fact  that  the  so-called  Mormon  Church,  in  its 
exercise  of  political  power,  is  antagonistical  to  American 
institutions,  and  that  there  is  an  irrepressible  conflict 
between  Utah  Mormonism  and  American  republicanism ; 
so  much  so  that  they  can  never  abide  together  in  har- 
mony. We  also  believe  that  the  growth  of  this  anti- 
republican  power  is  such  that,  if  not  checked  speedily,  it 
will  cause  serious  trouble  in  the  near  future.  We  fear 
that  the  nature  and  extent  of  this  danger  are  not  fully 
comprehended  by  the  nation  at  large. " 

If  the  Mormon  power  had  its  seat  in  an  established 
commonwealth  like  Ohio,  such  an  ignorant  and  fanat- 
ical population,  rapidly  increasing,  and  under  the  abso- 
lute control  of  unscrupulous  leaders,  who  openly  avowed 
their  hostility  to  the  State,  and  lived  in  contemptuous 
violation  of  its  laws,  would  be  a  disturbing  element 
which  would  certainly  endanger  the  peace  of  society. 
Indeed,  the  Mormons,  when  much  less  powerful  than 
they  are  to-day,  could  not  be  tolerated  in  Missouri  or 
Illinois.  And  Mormonism  is  tenfold  more  dangerous  in 
the  new  West,  where  its  power  is  greater,  because  the 
"Gentile"  population  is  less;  where  it  has  abundant 
room  to  expand;  where,  in  a  new  and  unorganized 
society,  its  complete  organization  is  the  more  easily 
master  of  the  situation;  and  where  state  constitutions 
and  laws,  yet  unformed,  and  the  institutions  of  society, 
yet  plastic,  are  subject  to  its  molding  influence. 

And  what  are  we  going  to  do  about  it?  Something  can 
be  done  by  legislation,  though  it  has  proved  less  effective 
than  was  expected.  From  the  first  enactment  of  anti- 
polygamy  laws  by  Congress  in  1862  down  to  September 
1,  1889,  only  twenty-four  convictions  had  been  secured  2 
while  sixty-seven  men  are  known  to  have  entered  into 
polygamy  during  the  single  year  ending  June,  1887. 
There    were,     however,    909    convictions   for    unlawful 


•  Hand-book  of  Mormonism,  p.  94. 

'  Montgomery's  Mormon  Delusion,  p.  292. 


118  I'K  l:  I  LS.  — .MOlt  MUX  ISM. 

cohabitation,  uniU'i  the  Ednuiiids  Law,  fiDiu  1882  to 
1889.  But  this  number  is  only  five  per  cent  of  those 
known  to  be  guilty.  ^  The  governor  of  the  territory, 
Hon.  A.  L.  Thomas,  who  is  thoroughl}"  acquainted  with 
the  situation,  says,''  "The  governnient  has  been  for 
years  well  represented  by  able  and  efficient  officers, 
and  the  result  has  been  ini])()rtant,  but  not  decisive. 
This  course  (vigorous  prosecution)  has  not  changed  opin- 
ion, but  has  caused  greater  care  in  concealing  offenses.  " 

Wilford  Woodruff,  the  Pi'esident  of  the  Mormon 
Church  has  recently  issued  a  proclamation  in  which  he 
says:  "  Inasmuch  as  laws  have  been  enacted  bj-  Congress 
forbidding  plural  marriages,  which  laws  have  been  pro- 
noimced  constitutional  by  the  court  of  last  resort,  I  do 
hereby  declare  my  intention  to  submit  to  those  laws  and 
to  use  all  my  influence  with  the  members  of  the  church 
over  which  I  preside  to  have  them  do  likcAvise." 

If  this  declaration  w^as  made  in  good  faith,  it  would 
probably  mean  that  polygamy  is  to  be  abandoned,  at 
least  for  a  time.  It  is.  however,  the  well-nigh  imiversal 
opinion  of  Gentiles  in  Salt  Lake  City  that  this  manifesto 
was  a  mere  trick  intended  for  obvious  reasons  to  hood- 
wink the  public.  We  have  seen  that  polygamy  might 
be  destroyed  without  seriouslj'  weakening  Mormonisni; 
indeed,  its  destruction,  by  allaying  suspicion,  by  creat- 
ing the  impression  that  the  Mormon  problem  is  solved, 
and  by  removing  the  obstacle  to  Utah's  admission  as  a 
state,  might  materially  strengthen  Mormonisni.  Any 
blow  to  be  really  effective  nnist  bo  aimed  at  the  priestly 
despotism. 

The  iK»litical  power  of  the  hierarchy  has  been  in  some 
measure  (Mu-tailed  by  two  decisions  of  the  Supreme  Court 
rendered  February  3,  1890.  One  decision  sustains  the  con- 
stitutionality of  the  law  of  Idaho  which  disfranchises  all 
who  arc  '•members  of  any  ordei',  organization,  or  asso- 
ciation whi(;h  teaches,  advises,  counsels,  or  encourages 


•  MontKoiiuTy's  .Mormon  Delusion,  p.  iJO.'J. 

*  Ilt'portof  tho  (lovernor  of  Utah,  IWi. 


PERILS. — MORMONISM.  H'.' 

its  members  or  devotees  or  any  other  persons  to  commit, 
the  crime  of  bigamy  or  polygamy."  A  similar  law  in 
Utah  would  undoubtedly  be  sustained  by  the  Supreme 
Court,  but  of  course  sucli  a  law  can  never  be  enacted 
so  long  as  the  Mormons  control  the  territorial  legis- 
lature. 

The  other  decision  of  the  Court  sustained  the  consti- 
tutionality of  an  act  of  Congress,  passed  in  1887,  by 
which  the  territorial  charter  of  the  Mormon  Church  was 
repealed,  the  corporation  dissolved  and  its  property,  in 
excess  of  $50,000,  escheated  to  the  United  States,  to  be 
used  for  the  support  of  public  schools  in  Utah.  Under 
this  law  a  receiver  took  possession  of  nearlj^  $1,000,000 
worth  of  property.  The  power  of  the  hierarchy  has  been 
enhanced  by  the  great  wealth  of  the  church.  The 
sequestration  of  that  wealth,  therefore,  must  in  some 
measure  disable  the  hierarchy.  But  the  power  of  the 
priesthood  existed  before  that  wealth  was  accumulated. 
It  was  their  power  which  made  such  accumulation  pos- 
sible. This  blow,  therefore,  does  not  go  to  the  root  of 
the  matter.  Indeed,  it  is  liable  to  strengthen  Mormon- 
ism  as  much  on  one  side  as  it  weakens  it  on  another, 
for  the  public  schools  are  taught  almost  wholly  by  Mor- 
mons, and  this  great  sum  of  money  will,  therefore,  be 
applied  to  teach  Mormon  doctrines  unless  Congress 
places  the  public  schools  of  the  territory  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  United  States.  If  this  were  done  and  all 
Mormons  were  disfranchised  as  they  should  be  (except- 
ing of  course  the  Josephites,  who  are  loyal),  much  time 
and  labor  would  yet  be  required  to  complete  the  work. 
"  Let  him  who  thinks  that  the  Mormon  problem  is 
almost  solved  be  undeceived.  Even  when  Congress  and 
the  courts  shall  have  done  their  utmost,  it  will  take  half 
a  century  yet  of  the  gospel  in  the  hands  of  missionaries 
and  teachers  to  dig  up  the  roots  of  this  evil.  The  public 
has  not  yet  grasped  the  proportions  of  this  problem. 
The  present  laws  and  Christian  forces  at  work  in  Utah 
still  have  a  problem  before  them  much  like  that  which  a 
single  company  of  sappers  and  miners  would  have  who 


1:^0  PERILS, — MOU.MOXIS^r. 

should  undertake  to  dig  down  the  Wahsatch  Mountain 
range  with  pick  and  spade."  ^ 

The  secret  power  of  the  system  is  the  people's  belief  in 
the  divine  inspiration,  and  hence  infallibility  of  the 
priesthood.  This  is  a  veritable  Pandora's  box  out  of 
which  may  spring  any  possible  delusion  or  excess.  Said 
Heber  C.  Kimball,  formerly  one  of  the  Apostles: 

' '  The  word  of  our  Leader  and  Prophet  is  the  word  of 
Clod  to  this  people.  We  can  not  see  God.  We  can  not 
hold  converse  with  him.  But  he  has  given  us  a  man 
that  we  can  talk  to  and  thereby  know  his  will,  just  as 
well  as  if  God  himself  were  present  with  us."  Special 
"  revelations  "  to  the  head  of  the  church,  even  if  directly 
contrary  to  the  Scriptures,  or  the  Book  of  Mormon,  are 
absolutely  binding.  The  latter  says:  -  "  Wherefore  I,  the 
Lord  God,  will  not  suffer  that  this  people  do  like  unto 
tliem  of  old;  wherefore,  my  brethren,  hear  me,  and 
hearken  to  the  word  of  the  Lord.  For  there  shall  not 
any  man  among  you  have  save  it  be  one  wife;  and  con- 
cubines he  shall  have  none."  Yet  a  special  "revelation" 
sufficed  to  establish  polygamy.  Mormon  despotism, 
then,  has  its  roots  in  the  superstition  of  the  people ;  and 
this  Congress  cannot  legislate  away.  The  people  must 
be  elevated  and  enlightened  through  the  instrimientality 
of  Christian  education  and  the  preaching  of  the  g(^si>el. 
This  work  is  being  effectively  done  by  the  various  Chris- 
tian denominations.  It  is  chiefly  to  such  agencies  that 
we  must  look  to  break  the  Mormon  power. 

'  Montpomery'.s  Mormon  Delusion,  p.  849. 
"  Book  of  Jacob,  Chap.  II,  verse  6. 


Liquor  Bill  of  the  United  States  in  1889, 
$1,000,000,000. 


The  Small  Square  in  the  Corner  Represents 
the  Amount  Contributed  in  1890  by  Evan- 
gelical Churches  to  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sions, $10,695,259. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PERILS.  —INTEMPERANCE. 

To  touch  SO  vast  a  subject,  and  only  touch  it,  is  diffi- 
cult. Let  us  consider  briefly  but  two  points— the  dan- 
ger of  intemperance  as  enhanced  by  the  progress  of 
civilization,  and  the  Liquor  Power.  I.  The  progress 
of  civilization  brings  men  into  closer  contact.  The 
three  great  civilizing  instrumentalities  of  the  age,  moral, 
mental  and  material,  are  Christianity,  the  press  and 
steam,  which  respectively  bring  together  men's  hearts, 
minds  and  bodies  into  more  intimate  and  multiplied 
relations.  Christianity  is  slowly  binding  the  race  into 
a  brotherhood.  The  press  transforms  the  earth  into  an 
audience  room ;  while  the  steam  engine,  so  far  as  com- 
merce is  concerned,  has  annihilated,  say,  nine-tenths  of 
space. 

Observe  how  this  bringing  of  men  into  closer  and 
multiplied  relations  has  served   to  increase  the  excite- 


122  PERILS. — INTEMPERANCE. 

ineiits  of  life,  to  quicken  our  rate  of  living.  The  Chi-is- 
tian  religion  is  an  excitant.  In  proportion  as  it  leads 
men  to  recognize  and  accept  their  responsibility  for 
others,  it  arouses  them  to  action  in  their  behalf,  under 
the  stress  of  the  most  urgent  motives.  The  press  and 
telegraph,  by  bringing  many  minds  into  contact,  have 
ministered  marvelously  to  the  activity  of  the  popular 
intellect.  Isolation  tends  to  stagnation.  Intercourse 
quickens  thought,  feeling,  action.  Steam  has  stimulated 
human  activity  almost  to  fury.  By  prodigiously' 
lengthening  the  lever  of  human  power,  by  bringing  the 
covmtry  to  the  city,  the  inland  cities  to  the  sea-board,  the 
seaports  to  each  other,  it  has  multiplied  many-fold  every 
form  of  intercoiu'se.  By  establishing  industries  on  an 
immense  scale  it  has  greatly  complicated  business ; 
while  severe  and  increasing  competition  demands  closer 
study,  a  greater  application  of  energy,  a  larger  expend 
iture  of  mental  power. 

Thus  it  would  seem  that  these  three  great  forces  of 
civilization  move  along  parallel  lines,  and  co-operate  in 
stimulating  the  nations  to  an  activitj'  ever  more  intense 
and  exciting  ;  so  that  the  progress  of  civilization  seems 
to  involve  an  increasing  strain  on  the  nervous  .system. 
These  influences  will  be  better  appreciated  if  we  com- 
pare, for  a  moment,  ancient  and  modern  civilization. 
Look  at  life  in  Athens,  Jerusalem  or  Babylon,  when  they 
were  centers  of  civilization,  as  compared  with  Paris, 
London,  or  New  York.  The  chief  men  of  an  Oriental 
city  might  be  found  sitting  in  the  gate  gossiping,  or 
possibly  philosophizing.  Those  of  an  Occidental  metrop- 
olis are  deep  in  schemes  of  commerce,  manufacture, 
politics  or  pliilanthrnpy,  v/eaving  plans  whose  threads 
reach  out  through  all  the  land,  and  even  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth.  Th^  Eastern  merchant  sits  in  his  bazaar,  as 
did  his  ancestor  two  or  tln-ee  thousand  years  ago.  and 
chaffers  with  his  customers  by  the  hour  over  a  triHe. 
The  W(!stern  and  modern  business  man  is  on  his  feet. 
The  two  attitudes  are  representative.  Ancient  civiliza- 
tion was  sedentary  and   contemplative  ;  ours  is  active 


PERILS. — INTEMPERANCE.  123 

and  practical.  '■^  Miiltum  in  parvo ''''  is  its  inaxini. 
Immense  results  brought  about  in  a  few  days,  or  even 
minutes,  hurry  the  mind  through  a  wide  range  of  experi- 
ence, and  compress,  it  may  be,  years  into  hours.  I  am 
not  at  all  sure  that  Abraham  Lincoln  did  not  live  longer 
than  Methuselah.  In  point  of  experience,  results,  acquisi- 
tions, enjoyment  and  sorrow— in  all  that  makes  up  life, 
save  the  mere  factor  of  time — I  am  not  at  all  sure  that  the 
antediluvians  were  not  the  children,  and  the  men  of  this 
generation  the  aged  patriarchs.  And  life  is  fuller  and 
more  intense,  activity  is  more  eager  and  restless  here  in 
the  United  States  than  anywhere  else  in  the  world.  We 
work  more  days  in  a  year,  more  hours  in  a  day,  and  do 
more  work  in  an  hour  than  the  most  active  people  of 
Europe.^ 

If  we  were  quite  unacquainted  with  the  results  of  this 
feverish  activity  of  modern  civilization,  and  especially  of 
American  civilization,  reason  would  enable  us  to  antici- 
pate those  results.  Such  excitements,  such  restless 
energy,  such  continued  stress  of  the  nerves,  must,  in 
course  of  a  few  generations,  decidedly  change  the  ner- 
vous organization  of  men  We  know  that  the  progress  of 
civilization  has  refined  temperaments,  has  rendered 
men  more  susceptible  and  sensitive.  A  tragedy  that  is  a 
nine  days'  horror  with  us  would  hardly  have  attracted 
more  than  a  passing  glance  in  old  Rome,  whose  gentle 
matrons  made  a  holiday  by  attending  gladiatorial  shows, 
and  seeing  men  kill  each  other  for  Roman  sport  at  the 
rate  of  10,000  in  a  single  reign.  And  when  brothers  met 
in  the  arena,  and  lacked  the  nerve  to  strike  each  other 
down,  red-hot  irons  were  pressed  against  their  naked, 
quivering  flesh  to  goad  them  on,  while  these  same 
mothers  shouted,  ' '  Kill !  "  We  complain  sometimes 
that  modern  life  has  become  too  largely  one  of  feeling. 
It  is  true  the  many  live  lives  of  impulse,  rather  than  of 


1  These  statements  could  be  abundantly  confirmed,  but  it  is  presumed 
they  will  not  be  doubted.  The  point  will  be  further  developed  in  a  later 
chapter. 


124  I'KlilLS. — INTKMI'KIIAXCE. 

principle ;  but  it  is  also  true  that  the  springs  of  human 
sympathy  were  never  so  easily  touched  as  now.  Such 
wide  differences  in  men's  sensibilities  argue  not  only  a 
difference  of  education,  but  a  change  in  the  world's 
nerves. ' 

Physicians  tell  us  that  going  from  the  equator  north, 
and  from  the  arctic  regions  south,  nervous  disorders  in- 
crease until  a  climax  is  reached  in  the  temperate  zone. 
An  eminent  physician  of  New  York,  the  late  Dr.  George 
M.  Beard,  who  has  made  nervous  diseases  a  speciality, 
says  that  they  are  comparatively  rare  in  Si)ain,  Italy  and 
the  northern  portions  of  Europe,  also  in  Canada  and  the 
Gulf  States,  but  xtn-y  connnon  in  our  Northern  States 
and  in  Central  Europe.  And  this  belt,  it  will  be  ob- 
served, coincides  exactly  with  the  zone  of  the  world's 
greatest  activity;  and  fui-ther,  where  this  activity  is 
greatest;  viz.,  in  the  United  States,  these  nervous  disor- 
ders are  the  most  frequent.  Dr.  Beard  begins  an  exceed- 
ingly interesting  work^  on  nervous  exhaustion  with 
these  sentences  :  "  There  is  a  large  family  of  fimctional 
nervous  disorders  that  are  increasingly  frequent  among 
the  indoor  classes  of  civilized  coimtries,  and  that  are 
especially  frequent  in  the  northern  and  eastern  parts  of 
the  United  States.  The  sufferers  from  these  maladies 
are  counted  in  this  country  by  thousands  and  lumdreds 
of  thousands  ;  in  all  the  Northern  and  Eastern  States 
they  are  found  in  nearly  every  brain-working  housr- 
hf)l(l.'"  After  speaking  of  certain  numerous  and  wide- 
spread nervous  diseases  iimung  u.s,  he  adds:  "  In  Europe 
these  affections  are  but  little  known."  They  are  all 
diseases  of  civilization,  and  of  modern  civilization,  and 
mainly  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  of  the  United 
States.  "  Neurasthenia."  which  is  the  name  he  gives  to 
nervoiis  exhaustion,    "is,"  he  says,   "comparatively  a 


'Since  writiiiK  t)ie  a>)Ove,  I  find  the  following  sentence  in  Dr.  CJco.  :\| 
Beard's  Anicricnn  Nervoiisn.'s.s,  p.  118:  "  Finene.ss  of  organization,  wlii.li 
is  es.sential  to  tlie  developnient  of  the  civilization  of  modern ^times,  Isaccuin 
jianied  by  inti-nsided  mt-ntal  siisceptihility." 

'Entitled  Neurasthenia. 


PERILS. — INTEMPERANCE.  125 

modern  disease,  its  symptoms  surprisingly  more  fre- 
quent now  than  in  the  last  century,  and  is  an  Ameri- 
can disease,  in  this,  that  it  is  very  much  more  common 
here  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  civilized  world." 

When  we  consider  that  the  increased  activity  of  mod- 
ern civilization  is  attended  by  new  and  increasing  nei-- 
vous  disorders,  that  the  belt  of  prevalent  nervous  diseases 
coincides  exactly  with  that  of  the  world's  greatest  activ- 
ity, and  further,  that  in  this  belt,  where  the  activity  is 
by  far  the  most  intense,  nervous  affections  are  by  far 
the  most  common,  it  is  evident  that  the  intensity  of  mod- 
ern life  has  already  worked,  and  continues  to  work,  im- 
portant changes  in  men's  nervous  organization.  The 
American  people  are  rapidly  becoming  the  most  nervous, 
the  most  highly  organized,  in  the  world,  if,  indeed,  they 
are  not  already  such.  And  the  causes,  climatic  and  other, 
which  have  produced  this  result,  continue  operative. 

Be  it  observed  now  that  nervous  people  are  exposed  to 
a  double  danger  from  intoxicating  liquors.  In  the  first 
place,  they  are  more  likely  than  others  to  desire  stimu- 
lants. Says  Dr.  Beard:  "When  the  nervous  system 
loses,  through  any  cause,  much  of  its  nervous  force,  so 
that  it  cannot  stand  upright  with  ease  and  comfort,  it 
leans  on  the  nearest  and  most  convenient  artificial  sup- 
port that  is  capable  of  temporarily  propping  up  the  en- 
feebled frame.  Anything  that  gives  ease,  sedation, 
oblivion,  such  as  chloral,  chloroform,  opium  or  alcohol, 
may  be  resorted  to  at  first  as  an  incident,  and  finally  as 
a  habit.  Such  is  the  philosophy  of  opium  and  alcohol 
inebriety.  Not  only  for  the  relief  of  pain,  but  for  the 
relief  of  exhaustion,  deeper  and  more  distressing  than 
pain,  do  both  men  and  women  resort  to  the  drug  shop. 
I  count  this  one  of  the  great  causes  of  the  recent  increase 
of  opium^  and  alcohol  inebriety  among  women."    • 

As  a  nation  grows  more  nervous,  its  use  of  intoxicating 

1  There  were  imported  into  the  United  States  in  1869,  90,997  pounds  of 
opium;  in  1874,  170,706  pounds;  in  1877,  230,102  pounds;  during  the  fiscal 
year  ending  in  1880,  553,451  pounds;  an  increase  of  more  than  six-fold  in 
eleven  years. 


120  I'KUI  L.S. — 1  MKM  IKKA  NCE. 

litjuois  incrwises.  hi  Great  Britain,  Belgium,  Ilullaiid 
and  Cierniauy,  which  are  the  European  countries  lying 
in  the  nervous  belt,  there  has  been  a  marked  increase  in 
the  use  of  alcohol  during  the  last  lialf  century.  Since 
18-iU,  its  consumption  in  Belgium  has  increased  238  per 
cent.  In  18G9  there  were  12U,UU0  sjiloons  in  Prussia;  in 
1880  there  were  1G5,()(JU.  From  1831  to  1872,  while  tlie  pop- 
ulation (not  including  recent  annexations)  increased  53 
per  cent.,  whiskey  saloons  increased  lU  per  cent.  For 
all  Germany,  the  increase  in  consumption  of  sjtirituous 
li(pi()i-s,  per  caput,  from  ls72  to  1875,  was  23.5  per  cent. 
It  appears,  however,  that  there  was  a  decrease  in  the 
amount  used  jjer  caput  from  1.27  gallons  in  1872  to  l.U'J 
gallons  in  1887.  But  during  the  same  i)eriod  the  amoimt 
of  beer  consumed  increased  from  21.5(1  gallons  per  cai)ut 
to  24.99  gallon.s.^  In  Great  Britain,  during  the  year  1800, 
a  population  of  15,000,000  consumed  a  little  less  than  12- 
(Hio.OOO  gallons  of  spirits.  Fifty  years  later,  a  ])opulation 
of  27,000,<»00  consumed  28,000,000  gallons.  In  1874,  a 
populatiim  of  32,000,000  consumed  41,000,000  gallons. 
That  is,  while  the  i>opulation  increased  113  ]>er  cent.,  the 
con.-^umption  of  sjjirituous  liquors  increa.sed  241  per  cent. 
From  1H(!8  to  1877,  while  the  population  increased  less 
than  ten  per  cent.,  the  amount  of  spirituous  liquors  con- 
sumed increased  thirty-seven  per  cent.  During  the 
next  ten  years  the  amount  of  spirits  used  per  caput 
somewhat  decreased ;  but  the  Chancellor  of  the  Excheq- 
uer in  his  statement  of  English  finances  in  April,  1890, 
sjiid  that  the  revenue  from  alcoliulic  beverages  showed  a 
imivcrsal  rush  to  the  beer  barrel,  the  spirit  bottle  and 
the  wine  decanter.  "  In  INSS  tlie  numl)er  of  drams  taken 
reached  245,000,000;  in  1S89.  275.000.0i)0,"— an  increan-  of 
twelve  per  cent. 
The  following  table-  shows  the  number  of  gallons  of 

I  Stalistisehca  Jahrbuch  fllr  cla.s  Driil.sc-lm  Reich.  See  The  Cyclopepdla 
of  TcmiH-niiiCP  anil  ProliiMtion       Kiiiik  nii.l  W.^u'iiiilN. 

»  KroMi  the  Qimrt<Tly  Ui'i"""'  "f  On-  Clil.'f  c,f  ih.-  V.  S  Riir.>nn  Df  StntiKlics. 
fnr  the  rhriM- iMKiiilii  i-ilIiiil'  MiLic'li  .'il.  iss'.l,  uiiil  rrmii  .SiMilToril's  .ViiiiTii'.iii 
AlmiiiiiK'.   IHHI) 


PERILS.— INTKMPEKANCE.  127 

liquor  consumed  for  all  purposes  in  the  United  States  in 
1840,  ISGOcXndin  1888: 

Dixtillcd  Sjyirits.  Wine.  Malt  Liquors. 

1840.  43,000,884  4,873,096  23,310,843. 

1860.  89,968.651  11,059,141  101,346,669. 

1888.  75,845,352  36,335,068  767,587,056. 

Gallons  consumed  for  all  purposes,  per  caput : 

Spirits.  Wines.  Malt  Liquors.  All. 

IfWO.  2.52  .29  1.36  4.17. 

1860.  2.86  .35  3.22  6.40. 

1888.  1.25  '    .60  12.68  14.53. 

The  steady  increase  in  the  use  of  wine  and  beer  per 
caput,  since  1840  is  very  marked,  and  the  decrease  in  the 
use  of  whiskey  since  1860  is  equally  so.  It  has  been  ar- 
gued by  the  brewers  and  others  that  beer  and  wine  have 
proved  a  blessing  by  driving  out  to  a  great  extent  the 
use  of  spirituous  liquors,  and  that  there  is  now  less  alco- 
hol used  as  a  beverage  per  caput  than  there  was  half  a 
century  ago.  Let  us  see  if  this  position  will  bear  exam- 
ination. 

Reducing  these  several  liquors  to  alcohol,  we  find  that 
the  people  of  the  United  States  consumed  for  all  pur- 
poses, 1.51  gallons  of  alcohol  per  caput  in  1840,  1.79 
gallons  in  1860.  and  1.27 gallons  in  1888.  In  order  toacor- 
rect  interpretation  of  these  figures  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  formerly  a  large  proportion  of  the  whiskey 
consumed  was  used  in  manufactures.  But  after  the 
heavy  Internal  Revenue  tax  was  imposed,  the  price  of 
whiskey  per  gallon  rose  seventeen-fold  in  three  years, 
which  drove  it  out  of  manufactures,  for  the  most  part. 
David  A.  Wells,  as  chairman  of  a  commission  to  revise 
the  whole  Internal  Revenue  system,  reported  in  1866; 
"  In  some  instances  entire  branches  of  business  have  been 
destroyed  in  consequence  of  the  great  advance  in  the 
price  of  alcohol."  In  other  instances  substitutes  for  al- 
cohol were  found.  Mr.  Wells  estimates  that  in  1860,  25,- 
000,000  gallons  of  proof  spii-its  were  consumed   in  the 


128  PERILS.  —  INTKMI'f'RANCE. 

in-eparatioii  of  burning  fluid.  "  Since  18(52,"  he  adds 
"the  production  and  consumption  of  burning  fluid  have 
almost  entirely  ceased."  The  commission  said:  "We 
ai-e  inclined  to  consider  the  estimate  of  a  gallon  and  a 
half  i)er  liead  for  the  consumption  of  the  United  States 
(Of  spirits  as  a  beverage)  as  somewhat  exaggerated." 
But  taking  this  "exaggerated  estimate,"  we  find  that  in 
1S4()  there  were  .93  of  a  galhjn  of  alcohol  used  per  caput 
as  a  beverage  and  in  18G(),  1.01  gallons.  Most  of  the 
spirits  now  consumed  in  the  United  States  are  used  as  a 
beverage,  but  allowing  ten  per  cent,  for  use  in  the  arts 
we,  in  1888,  consumed  in  our  beverages  1.2  gallons  of  al- 
cohol per  caput.  That  is,  the  increased  consumption  of 
beer  and  wine  has  been  accompanied  by  an  increased  use 
of  alcohol. 

Thus  it  appears  that  during  the  last  half  century  or 
longer,  in  those  countries  lying  in  the  nervous  belt,  the 
use  of  intoxicating  drinks  as  a  beverage  has  increased 
per  caput.  The  full  significance  of  this  fact  appears  only 
when  we  remember  that  early  in  this  centiuy  li<juors 
were  on  every  side-board,  and  conscientious  scruples 
against  their  moderate  use  were  almost  indieard  of,  while 
to-day  there  are  many  millions  of  teetotalers  both  in  this 
country  and  in  Great  Britain.  Especiallj-  during  the 
past  twenty-five  years,  the  temperance  ref(jrm  has  made 
wonderful  progress,  and  the  proportion  of  teetotalers  is 
nmch  greater  to-day  than  ever  before.  And  yet  there  is 
more  licjuor  used  per  caput  now  than  formerly ;  show- 
ing, conclusively,  that  there  is  much  more  of  excess  now 
than  tlien;  declaring  that,  as  a  nation  grows  nrrvotts, 
those  v'ho  drink  at  all  are  ))iore  apt  to  drink  imnioderafeli/. 

Again,  in  the  second  place,  men  of  nervous  organi/a 
tion  are  not  only  more  likely  than  others  to  use  alcohol, 
and  to  use  it  to  excess,  but  its  effects  in  their  case  are 
worse  and  more  rapid.  The  wide  difference  between  a 
nervous  and  a  phlegmatic  temperament  accounts  for  the 
fact  that  one  man  will  kill  himself  with  drink  in  four  or 
five  years,  and  another  in  forty  or  fifty.  The  jilileg- 
matic  man  isbut  little  sensitive  to  stinudus;  hence,  when 


PERILS, — INTEMPERANCE.  I'Zd 

its  influence  wears  off,  there  is  little  reaction.  He, 
accordingly,  forms  the  appetite  slowly,  and  the  process 
of  destruction  is  slow.  Another  man,  of  fine  nervous 
organization,  takes  a  glass  of  spirits,  and  every  nerve  in 
his  body  tingles  and  leaps.  The  reaction  is  severe, 
and  the  nerves  cry  out  for  more.  The  appetite,  rapidly 
formed,  soon  becomes  uncontrollable,  and  the  miserable 
end  is  not  long  delayed.  The  higher  development  of  the 
nervous  system,  which  comes  with  the  progress  of  civil- 
ization, renders  men  more  sensitive  to  pain,  more  sus- 
ceptible to  the  evil  results  which  attend  excess  of  any 
kind.  Savages  may,  almost  with  impunity,  transgress 
laws  of  health  which  would  inflict  on  civilized  men,  for 
like  transgression,  penalties  well-nigh  or  quite  fatal.  It 
would  seem  as  if  God  intended  that,  as  men  sin  against 
the  greater  light  which  comes  with  increasing  civiliza- 
tion, they  should  sufl'er  severer  punishment. 

It  has  been  shown  that  the  use  of  intoxicants  is  more 
dangerous  for  this  generation  than  it  has  been  for  any 
preceding  generation;  that  it  is  more  dangerous  for  in- 
habitants of  the  nervous  belt  than  for  the  remainder  of 
mankind ;  that  it  is  more  dangerous  for  the  people  of  the 
United  States  than  for  other  inhabitants  of  this  belt.  It 
remains  to  be  shown  that  it  is  more  dangerous  for  the 
people  of  the  West  than  for  those  of  the  East. 

Among  the  principal  causes  which  are  operative  to 
render  the  typical  American  temperament  more  nervous 
than  the  European  is  the  greater  dryness  of  our  cli- 
mate. "Dr.  Max  von  Pettenkofer  has  concluded,  from 
the  investigations  he  has  made  into  the  comparative  loss 
of  heat  experienced  by  a  person  breathing  dry  air  and 
one  breathing  damp  air,  that  with  the  dry  air  more  heat 
is  lost  and  more  created,  and,  in  consequence,  the  circu- 
lation is  quicker  and  more  intense,  life  is  more  energetic, 
and  there  is  no  opportunity  for  the  excessive  accumula- 
tion of  fat  or  flesh,  or  for  the  development  of  a  phleg- 
matically    nervous    temperament. "  ^       The     mountain 

ICE  young,  in  Popular  Science  Monthly,  September,  1880. 


1 3(1  ri; i;  1  ls. — i  n  i  i:.\i  I' i; i: a  n (  i:. 

region  of  the  Wesst  has  by  far  the  driest  atmosphere  of 
any  portion  of  the  country.  The  writer  has  often  seen 
Long's  Peak  by  moonlight  at  a  distance  of  eighty  miles. 
The  wond(!rful  transpai-ency  of  that  mountain  air  is  due 
to  the  absence  of  moisture.  Such  a  climate  is  itself  a 
wine,  and  life  in  it  is  greatly  intensified,  with  corre- 
sponding results  in  the  nervous  system.  We  should, 
accordingly,  expect  to  find  a  marked  increase  of  intem- 
perance. And  such  is  the  case.  In  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
where  the  altitude  is  low,  and  the  atmosi)here  moist 
there  is  much  less  intemperance  than  in  the  mountains, 
as  appears  from  the  ratio  of  voters  to  saloons.  Take  the 
tier  of  states  and  territories  next  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  range.  In  ISSO,  Dakota  had  1)5  voters  to  every 
saloon;^  Nebraska,  1;J3;  Kansas,  224;  and  Texas,  136. 
But  notice  the  change  as  soon  as  we  reach  the  high  alti- 
tudes. Montatia  had  only  2S  voters  to  each  saloon ;  Wy- 
oming, 43;  Colorado,  37;  New  Mexico,  2(5;  Arizona,  25; 
Utah,  84;  Idaho,  35;  Washington,  68;  Oregon,  58;  Cali- 
fornia, 37;  and  Nevada,  32.  The  average  for  the  states 
between  the  Mississijipi  and  the  Rocky  Mountains  was 
one  saloon  to  every  112.5  voters.  In  the  eli-ven  moun 
tain  states  and  territories,  the  average  was  one  saloon  to 
every  43  voters.  East  <»f  the  Mississipi)i,  the  average 
was  one  saloon  t(^  every  107.7  voters.  If  our  assunqition 
that  the  ratio  of  saloons  to  voters  correctly  measures  in- 
temi)erance,  is  just,  the  j)eople  in  the  western  thii'd  of 
the  United  States  are  two  and  one-half  times  as  intem- 
perate as  those  in  the  eastern  two  thirds.  There  are 
several  causes  for  tiiis.  some  of  which  are  more  or  less 
temporary;  but  one  of  the  cliif-l  iiiflu('n<-es  is  clirii.-it  ic, 
wliicli  will  continue  ojici-iit ivi>. 

We  have  seen  tli.it   tlie  pi-ogress  of  civilization  brings 


1  Stalistics  compilfil  froin  (Viisus  of  laso.  and  liiteriml  R»'V('nn«>  of  siinu* 
year.  Kor  this  eomimrisoii  tin-  Rtnllstics  of  ISSi)  aiv  pieferalile  to  those  of 
IKiK),  iM'oans.-  (luritiK  this  Interval  prohiliilory  laws  linve  In-i'ii  a«loj.t»-il  in 
wviTnl  of  these  slates.  The  iiiinilier  of  saloons  was  ilonht  less  iniieh  larpr 
than  wius  re|>orte<l  by  the  CensnK;  hut  for  oi>ni|)ftrison  lM'tw«'en  the  Ktist  ami 
West,  or  the  rily  ami  (.•oiinlry,  the  Census  stalistics  answer  every  purpose. 


PKllILS. — IKTE.Mt'KKANCE.  lol 

men  into  more  intimate  relations,  that  closer  contact 
quickens  activity,  that  increased  activity  refines  the 
nervous  system,  and  that  a  highly  nervous  organization 
invites  intemperance,  and  at  the  same  time  renders  its 
destructive  results  swifter  and  more  fatal.  Thus  the 
very  progress  of  civilization  renders  men  the  easier  vic- 
tims of  intemperance.  We  have  also  seen  that  under 
regulation  the  liquor  traffic  increases  more  rapidly  than 
the  pojDulation.  The  alternative,  then,  seems  simple, 
clear,  certain,  that  civilization  must  destroy  the  liquor 
traffic  or  be  destroyed  by  it.  Even  here  in  the  East, 
this  death  struggle  is  desperate,  and  no  man  looks  for  an 
easy  victory  over  the  dragon.  What,  then,  of  the  far 
West,  where  the  relative  power  of  the  saloon  is  two  and  a 
half  times  greater? 

II. — The  Liquor  Power. 

The  liquor  traffic,  of  course,  implies  two  parties,  the 
buyer  and  the  seller.  The  preceding  discussion  relates 
to  the  former,  only  a  few.  words  touching  the  latter, 
x^ccording  to  the  ReiDort  of  the  Commissioner  of  Internal 
Revenue  there  were  184,889  liquor  dealers  and  manufac- 
turers in  the  United  States  in  1889.  Their  saloons,  allow- 
ing twenty-two  feet  front  to  each,  would  reach  in  an 
unbroken  line  from  Chicago  to  New  York.  There  is 
invested  in  this  business  an  immense  capital.  It  is  im- 
possible to  determine  how  much,  but  it  certainly  amounts 
to  hundreds  of  milUons  of  dollars.  In  an  address  in  the 
House  of  Representatives,  in  favor  of  the  Bonded 
Whiskey  Bill,  Hon.  P.  V.  Deuster,  of  Wisconsin,  member 
of  Congress,  and  special  champion  of  the  liquor  dealers, 
said  that  the  total  market  value,  of  the  spirituous,  malt, 
and  vinous  liquors  produced  in  1883  was  $490,961,588.  It 
is  now  estimated  that  the  annual  liquor  bill  of  the  nation 
is  $1,000,000,000.  So  great  wealth  in  the  hands  of  one 
class,  having  common  interests  and  a  common  purpose, 
is  a  mighty  power. 

And  this  power  does  not  lack  organization.     Its  sue- 


[o'Z  I'K K I  l.S.  — I  N  T i: M  r i; K  A  N ( •  K. 

(H^ss  at  Washingtuii  a  few  years  since  in  securing  legisla- 
tion which  granted  to  wliiskey  makers  peculiar 
privileges,  accorded  to  no  other  tax  payers,  is  sufficient 
evidence  of  their  influence.  The  United  States  Brewers' 
Association  was  organized  in  1862.  The  object  of  the 
organization  may  be  inferred  from  the  introduction  to 
their  constitution,  where  we  read:  "That  the  owners  of 
breweries,  separately,  ar.e  unable  to  exercise  a  proper 
influence  in  the  interest  of  the  craft  in  the  legislature  and 
public  administration."  How  this  "proper  influence"  is 
brought  to  bear  upon  legislatures  will  appear  later.  That 
it  is  potent  there  can  be  no  doubt.  At  the  Brewers'  Con- 
gress, held  in  Buffalo,  July  8,  1868,  President  Clausen, 
speaking  of  the  action  of  the  New  York  branch  of  the 
association,  relative  to  the  excise  law  of  the  state,  said : 
"Neither  means  nor  money  were  spared  during  the  past 
twelve  months  to  accomplish  the  repeal  of  this  detested 
law.  The  entire  German  population  were  enlisted." 
"  Editorials  favorable  to  the  repeal  were  published  in 
si.vty  different  English  and  German  newspapers.  Just 
before  the  election,  3(»,()()0  campaign  circuhirs  were  dis- 
tributed among  the  Germans  of  the  diflierent  counties. 
A  state  convention  of  brewers,  hoiJ  and  malt  dealers,  hoj) 
growers,  etc.,  was  largely  attended,  and  resolutions  were 
adopted  in  which  we  pledged  ourselves  to  sui)port  only 
such  canditlates  who  bound  themselves  to  w^oi-k  for  the 
repeal  of  the  excise  law,  and  thereby  check  the  exer- 
tions of  the  temperance  ])arty.  These  resolutions  were 
published,  principally  through  the  English  i)ress,  in  all 
tlie  counties  of  the  state.  By  these  elforts  the  former 
minority  in  the  Assembly  was  changed  to  a  majority 
of  twenty  votes  iji  our  favor."  The  object  of  this  associ- 
ation is  not  industrial,  but  avowedly  political.  Tlie  i)res- 
ident  said,  at  the  Chicagcj  Congress,  in  1867:  "  Only  by 
union  in  bnttherly  love  it  will  be  possible  to  attain  such 
results,  guard  against  oppressive  laws,  raise  our.selves  to 
be  a  large  and  wide-spread  political  power  and  with  con- 
fidence anticipate  complete  success  in  all  our  undertak- 
ings."   Again  at  Davenport,  in   \><7^\  President  Clausen 


PERILS. — INTEMPERANCE.  133 

said :  "  Unity  is  necessary,  and  we  must  form  an  organi- 
zation that  not  only  controls  a  capital  of  two  hundred 
million  dollars,  but  which  also  commands  thousands  of 
votes,  politically,  through  which  our  legislators  will  dis- 
cern our  power."  At  the  Chicago  Congress,  the  brewers 
resolved :  ' '  That  we  consider  it  absolutely  necessary  that 
our  organization  should  exist  in  every  state  and  county." 
The  following  resolution  was  passed  by  the  Liquor  Dealers 
and  Manufacturers"  Association  of  Illinois,  in  1881 :  ' '  Re- 
solved, That  the  maintenance  and  perfection  of  our  pres- 
ent State  Association  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
proper  pi'otection  of  our  business  interests ;  that  the  new 
Board  of  Trustees  spare  neither  trouble  nor  expense  to 
properly  organize  every  senatorial  district  in  the  state, 
so  that,  by  the  time  of  the  next  election  of  members  of 
the  General  Assembly,  the  business  men  engaged  in  the 
liquor  trade  may  be  thoroughly  organized  and  disci- 
plined." The  liquor  trade  boasts  that  in  New  York  City 
alone  it  controls  40,000  votes.  That  the  saloons  are  the 
great  centers  of  political  activity  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  out  of  1,002  primary  and  other  political  meetings 
held  in  New  York  during  the  year  preceding  the  Novem- 
ber election  of  1884,  633  were  held  in  saloons  and  86  were 
held  next  door  to  saloons,  while  only  283  were  held  apart 
from  them.i  These  saloons  and  their  keepers  are  con- 
trolled by  a  few  strong  men.  In  1888,  of  the  saloons  in 
New  York  City,  4,710  were  subject  to  chattel  mortgages, 
which  aggregated  $4. 959, 578  in  value.  An  overwhelming 
proportion  of  these  mortgages  were  held  by  brewers,  one 
firm  holding  upwards  of  200,  and  another  600;  which 
being  interpreted  means  that  two  firms  controlled  up- 
wards of  800  centers  of  political  influence  in  New  York.2 
Let  us  now  look  at  some  of  the  methods  of  the  Liquor 
PoAver.  The  brewers  favor  boycotting.  The  following 
resolution  was  passed  at  their  seventli  congress:  ''Re- 
solved, That  we  find  it  necessary,  in  a,  business  point  of 


Rob(']-t  Graliam,  Secretary  of  Cliurch  Temperance  Society. 
Cliafii'l  Mortgages  on  Saloon  Fixtures  by  Robert  Graliam. 


1  3-i-  I'K  i:  I  I.S.  — I  NTKM  I'Kl:  A  N  ( '  K. 

view,  to  patronize  only  such  business  men  as  will  work 
hand  in  hand  with  us."  Tliey  expend  money  freely  to 
accomplish  tiieir  purpose  at  the  polls.  "  By  direct  testi- 
mony from  the  liipior  campaign  managers  it  has  been  as- 
certained that  in  the  Rhode  Island  contest  of  1.SS9,  $31,000 
was  paid  for  the  single  object  of  manipidating  the  news- 
papers." "It  is  known  that  in  the  Amendment  campaign 
in  Pennsylvania  in  1S89,  $200,000  was  contributed  in  the 
city  of  Philadelphia  alone"  by  the  liquor  dealers,  while 
the  brewers  of  New  York  added  s^lOO.OOO  more.i  The  liq- 
uor lobby  at  Albanj',  New  York,  at  the  session  of  1878-9, 
adn)itted  before  a  legislative  committee  that  the}'  had  ex- 
pended about  $100,000  to  influence  legislation.  From 
the  confessions  of  an  old  li(iuor  dealer  and  lobbyist  ^  we 
learn  by  what  methods  legislation  at  Albany  was  "influ- 
enced "  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  After  the  election 
and  before  the  l(>gislature  convened, "  Our  correspondents 
throughout  the  state  gave  us  special  and  truthful  descrip- 
tions of  everyone  of  the  opi^osition  members,  their  mode 
of  life,  their  habits,  their  eccentricities  and  their  religious 
views ;  whether  they  were  approachable ;  with  a  thorough 
analysis  of  their  characters  in  every  way,  so  that  we 
might  understand  our  subjects  in  advance."  If  the  stilf- 
necked  legislator  could  not  be  induced  to  vote  directly 
against  temperance  measures,  or  ])ersuaded  to 
"  dodge,"  he  must  be  convinced  that  he  was  sick,  threat- 
ened with  diphtheria  or  something  else,  and  unable  to 
leave  his  room.  A  sworn  affidavit  of  the  doctor  to  this 
effect  cost  "anywhere  from  $25  to  $100,  according  t(.  Die 
size  of  the  lie  sworn  to."  These  cases  of  sickness  n<'vcr 
l>roved  fatal,  and  recovery  was  always  rapid.  "  I  well 
remember  a  senator  who  was  in  great  distress  about  a 
mortgage  that  was  being  foreclosed  on  his  house,  amount- 
ing to  about  *l.r)()0.  This  man's  trouble  came  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  lobby.     Siidtleidy  one  of   tlie  lobbyists 


'  Till'  (?ycl<>|M'ilift  of  Iiit4'inp«Tnnee   ami  Pi-oliiliition,  p.  8«J.    Funk  anrl 
WjiKiiftlN. 
»  C.  It   ('..tlnn.  in  77..    l'.,/,-,   r..r  K.-l.r  imiy  .V  IHKV 


PERILS.— INTEMPERANCE.  135 

was  missing,  and  a  few  days  later  the  senator  received 
his  canceled  mortgage  through  the  post.  He  never  for- 
got the  favor,  nor  did  his  vote  do  iis  any  harm  after- 
wards." Sometimes  a  member  found  an  elegant  suit  of 
clothes  hanging  over  a  chair  by  his  bedside  in  the  morn- 
ing; and  sometimes  a  relative  would  be  presented  with  a 
neat  little  house.  Another  popular  method  was  for  a 
member  to  receive  a  package  by  express  from  Troy,  or 
some  other  town  near  by.  "This  package  always  con- 
tained a  certain  sum  of  money,  and  it  was  always  so 
arranged  that  one  of  the  lobby  should  be  with  the  gentle- 
man when  the  package  came  to  hand.  No  receipt  was 
ever  taken  from  the  sender  in  his  real  name,  but  the  re- 
ceiver gave  the  express  company  one  in  his  real  name. 
So  we  had  all  the  evidence  we  needed,  and  the  receiver 
dared  not  go  back  on  the  compact  the  transaction  cov- 
ered. From  that  moment  he  was  at  the  mercy  of  the 
lobby."  "If  our  tactics  failed  in  the  legislature,  and 
temperance  laws  were  passed,  we  went  home  to  defeat 
their  execution.  The  officers  designated  to  execute  these 
.laws  were  generally  elected.  If  by  ourselves,  it  was  all 
right.  If  by  our  opponents,  we  had  to  buy  them  up, 
and  but  few  were  found  who  would  not  take  a  bribe.  " 
"Although  the  liquor  lobby,  during  the  last  forty  years, 
has  used  millions  of  dollars  in  corrupt  bargaining  and 
bribery,  and  never  has  made  a  secret  of  the  fact,  yet  no 
member  was  ever  caught  in  the  act,  and,  it  is  fair  to  pre- 
sume, no  one  ever  will  be.  There  is  no  way  so  dark 
they  cannot  find  their  road  through."  Thus  does  the 
Liquor  Power  corrupt  public  morals  and  defeat  the  pop- 
ular will. 

And  this  power,  which  does  not  hesitate  to  buy  votes 
or  intimidate  voters,  to  defy  the  law  or  bribe  its  officers, 
comes  to  its  kingdom  through  political  partisanship, 
which  enables  it  to  make  one  of  thp  two  great  parties  its 
slave,  and  the  other  its  minister.  Even  in  the  cities  the 
citizens  who  desire  clean  government  are  in  the  major- 
ity ;  but,  instead  of  uniting  to  Jmake  and  enforce  good 
laws,    they  permit  politics  to  enter  into  the  elections, 


13G  I'KiuLs. — inti:.mi'i:i:ance. 

thus  throwing  the  power  into  the  hands  of  the  bad  mi- 
nority. "  Tliere  are  two  things,"  siiid  D'AKnibert,  *'  that 
cau  reach  the  top  ol  tne  pyramid— the  eagle  and  the 
reptile."  Under  the  rum  government  of  our  cities,  the 
reptile  cluubs.  In  IsnJ,  of  the  twenty-four  aldermen  of 
the  city  of  New  York,  ten  were  liquor  deiilers  and  two 
others,  including  the  President  of  the  B(»ard,  were  c.x 
rumsellers.  Important  offices  in  the  city  gt»vernnu'nt, 
which  pay  a  salary  of  ^J2,()0U  or  !j;15,0{)(i,  have  within  a 
few  years  been  occU])ied  by  men  who  kept  ' '  bucket 
shops"  and  'all  night'  dens;  some  have  been  prize 
tightei-s,  and  others  had  been  tried  for  the  crime  of 
nunder.  Is  it  strange  if  the  law  in  the  hands  of  sucli 
men  is  a  dead  letters  Says  Anthony  Conistock :  "I  have 
no  doubt  many  of  our  inlhu'Utial  city  jKiliticians  are  in 
receipt  of  a  regular  revenue  in  the  way  of  hush  money 
from  gambling  saloons,  bnithels  and  groggeries,  and  the 
word  is  i)ass('d  all  the  way  down  the  line  to  let  them  alone." 
The  late  Dr.  Howard  Crosby  siiid  :  "  <)ne  of  the  cai>tains 
of  police  is  sjiid  to  have  made  ^70.000  in  one  year  by  his 
carefulness  in  leaving  the  law  breakers  alone.  Any- 
body with  half  an  eye  can  see  that  the  exemption  of  the 
liquor  selling  law  breakei-s  from  jtrosecution  is  a  system 
and  n(jt  an  accident."  "  Fron)  Police  Ileadquarteis  '  be 
contiiuies  "goes  forth  tlio  order,  not  written  but  verbal, 
that  the  police  are  not  to  enforce  the  exci.se  law.  /  litirr 
had  mi/  man  on  the  forrr.  and  can  speak  with  knuwl 
edge  of  the  facts.  If  a  n>an  is  arrested  for  violating  an 
exci.se  law,  the  next  morning  the  one  who  arrested  him 
is  called  up.  reprimanded,  and  the  man  arrested  is  dis- 
charged, while  the  policeman  is  transferred  t«»  some  far 
off  di.strict.  the  twenty  fourth  ward,  for  instance  that 
Hutany  Bay  of  the  police  force— if  he  is  n<.t  inunediat«'ly 
discharge*!  by  those  four  n>en  we  call  (.Commissioners.  ' 
Siiys  tlu'  New  Y«>rk  Timrs :  "The  great  underlying 
evil,  which  j»ar;ily/.es  every  effort  to  g««t  gootl  laws,  and 
to  secure  the  r'liforcentent  of  sueh  as  we  liave,  is  the 
BVstem  (»f  local  ix.litics,  which  give  the  sjiImui  keepj-J-s 
more    power    over    government     Ili;ui     is    j k .s.sessei  1    by 


PERILS. — INTEMPERANCE.  137 

all  the  religious  and  educational  institutions  in  the 
city." 

Our  cities  are  growing  much  more  rapidly  than  the 
whole  population,  as  is  the  liquor  power  also.  If  this 
pouter  continues  to  keep  the  cities  under  its  heel,  what 
of  the  nation,  when  the  city  dominates  the  country? 
Such  a  powerful  organization,  resorting  to  such  un- 
scrupulous methods  in  the  interest  of  legitimate  busi- 
ness—mining, railroading — would  be  exceedingly  dan- 
gerous in  a  republic ;  and  the  whole  outcome  of  this  traffic, 
pushed  by  such  wealth,  svich  organized  energy  and  such 
means,  is  the  corrupting  of  the  citizen  and  the  embrut- 
ing  of  the  man. 

And  if  the  liquor  power  is  a  peril  at  the  East,  what 
of  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  and  beyond,  where 
mammonism  is  more  abject,  where  there  is  less  of 
Christian  principle  to  resist  the  bribe,  and  where  the 
relative  power  of  the  liquor  traffic  is  two  and  a  half 
times  greater  than  at  the  East? 


Avcra','e  Kxpciises  of  WnrUini:  Men's  Families  in  Mubs., 
ill  iss;!,  S;.-||.|-^ 


Average  K.iriiiiii;s  of  Wdrkiii;,'  Men,  J558.CS. 


CIIAPTKi;    IX. 

PERILS. — SCKIAI-ISM. 

Socialism  attempts  to  solve  the  problem  of  suffering: 
without  eliminating  the  factor  of  sin.  It  says:  "From 
each  according  to  his  abilities;  to  each  according  to 
his  wants."  But  this  dictum  of  Louis  Blanc  could  be 
realized  only  in  a  perfect  society.  Forgetting,  as  Herbert 
Spencer  remarks,  that  '"thei-e  is  no  jxilitical  alchemy  by 
which  you  can  get  golden  conduct  out  of  k'nden  in- 
stincts," socialism  tliiidcs  to  regenerate  society  without 
first  regenei-ating  the  individual;  or,  perhaps  moi-c 
accurately,  it  jiroposes  to  transform  the  individual  Ijy 
transforming  society,  and  expects  to  work  this  regen- 
eration by  i-eorganizing  society  on  a  co-oi)erative,  instead 
of  a  competitive,  basis.  It  talks  much  of  fraternity,  but 
forgets  what  Maurice  (in. -ly  said,  that    "there  is  no  fra- 


PERILS. — SOCIALISM.  139 

ternity  without  a  common  father."  There  is,  however, 
an  increasing  number  of  men  Avho  believe  devoutly  in 
the  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of  man- 
Christian  men,  who  are  quite  willing  to  let  the  public 
call  them  socialists,  if  the  public  will  let  them  define  the 
word.  The  amount  of  socialistic  coloring  found  in  cur- 
rent literature  shows  how  large  a  place  socialism  has 
gained  in  the  popular  thought.  It  is  quite  obvious  that 
the  number  of  those  \vho  sympathize  deeply  with  the 
struggles  of  the  poor  and  who  are  inclined  to  look  toward 
socialism  for  a  remedy  has  largely  increased  during 
recent  years.  There  are  many  of  this  class  who  are 
identified  with  no  socialistic  organization  and  who  can- 
not be  enumerated. 

Socialism  attracts  very  difi'erent  classes  of  men :  some, 
Christian  philanthropists,  large-hearted  and  self-sacri- 
ficing; others,  who  are  discontented  with  their  lot  and 
see  no  way  of  bettering  it  under  the  existing  industrial 
system;  others,  who  are  discouraged  or  are  smarting 
under  grievances;  and  others  also  are  envious,  selfish, 
vicious  and  lawless.  Socialists  of  the  latter  class  are 
generally  immigrants. 

The  despotism  of  the  few  and  the  wretchedness  of  the 
many  have  produced  European  socialism.  It  has  been 
supposed  that  its  doctrines  could  never  obtain  in  this 
land  of  freedom  and  plenty ;  but  there  may  be  a  despot- 
ism which  is  not  political,  and  a  discontent  which  does 
not  spring  from  hunger.  We  have  discovered  that  Ger- 
man socialism  has  been  largely  imported,  has  taken 
root,  and  is  making  a  vigorous  growth.  Let  us  look  at 
it  as  it  appears  in  this  coimtry. 

The  Socialistic  Labor  Party  and  the  Internationalists 
differ  widely  and  are  strongly  opposed  to  each  other. 
The  one  is  the  thin,  the  other  the  thick,  end  of  the 
socialistic  wedge.  Both  seek  to  overthrow  existing 
social  and  economic  institutions ;  both  propose  a  co-oper- 
ative form  of  production  and  exchange,  as  a  substitute 
for  the  existing  capitalistic  and  competitive  system; 
both  expect  a  great  and  bloody  revolution;  but  they 


I  to  PERILS. — SOCIALLSM. 

differ  widely  as  to  policy  and  extreme  doctrines.  The 
platform '  of  the  Socialistic  Labor  Party  contains  much 
that  is  reasonable,  and  is  well  calculated  to  disciple 
American  workmen.  It  does  not,  as  a  party,  attack  the 
family  or  religion,  and  is  opposed  to  anarchy. 

The  Internationalists  are  divided  into  two  parties:  the 
International  Working  People's  Association  and  the  In 
ternational  Workmen's  Association.  Tiie  latter,  known 
i\s  the  "Reds,''  are  somewhat  less  violent  than  the 
former,  the  "Blacks."  The  "Black"  Internationalists 
are  anarchists,  while  many  of  the  '•Reds''  are  state 
socialists.  '"The  Intei'uational  Workmen's  Association 
is  composed  chiefly  of  English  speaking  laboi-ers,  and  its 
main  strength  is  west  of  the  Mississippi."- 

The  ideals  of  the  International  Working  People's  Asso- 
ciation are  "  comnKW  property,  socialistic  production 
and  distribution,  tlie  grossest  materialism,  free  love, 
in  all  social  arrangements  perfect  individualism,  or, 
in  other  words,  anarchy.  Negatively  expressed  — 
Away  Avith  private  property!  Away  with  all  author- 
ity! Away  with  the  state!  Away  with  tlu-  family! 
.\way  with  religion!'"*  In  the  manifesto  unanimously 
adojited  by  the  Internationals  at  Pittsburg,  ficcurs  the 
following:  "The  church  finally  seeks  to  make  com- 
plete idiots  of  the  mass,  and  to  make  them  forego, 
the  paradise  on  earth  by  ]»i-omising  them  a  ficti- 
tious heaven."  Truth,  published  in  S.an Francisco,  says: 
"  When  the  laboring  men  understand  that  the  heaven 
wliieh  they  are  promised  hereafter  is  but  a  mirage,  they 
will  knock  at  the  door  of  the  wealthy  robber,  with  a 
musket  i:i  hand,  and  dcMnand  their  share  of  the  goods  of 
this  life  now."  Fvcihcit,  the  l)lasphemous  paper  of  Herr 
Most,  thus  concludes  an  article  on  the  "  Fruits  of  the 
Belief  in  God  "  :  "  Religion,  authority  and  state,  are  all 

•  See  the  tlooinm-nt  in  .loseph  Cook's  Sociali.sm,  pp,  "JO  22;  also  Prof.  Ely's 
hiilmr  Movrini'iit  in  AiiHTic.'l,  pp.  :»Mi  JJTO. 

"The  \j\hnv  MiiviMiient  in  Ainerien,  liy  Prof.  R.  T.  Kly.  p.  2.VJ.  («.  wlii.li 
also  I  am  IikIcIiIciI  for  mi;uiv  iinolntinns  from  the  Hocialistio  pr»'Ks. 

'll.i.l,  p   -Jll. 


PERILS. — SOCIALISxM.  141 

carved  out  of  the  same  piece  of  wood— to  the  Devil  with 
them  all!"  The  same  sheet  '^advocates  a  new  geneal- 
ogy, traced  from  mothers,  whose  names,  and  not  those 
of  the  fathers,  descend  to  the  children,  since  it  is  never 
certain  who  the  father  is."  "Public  and  common  up- 
bringing of  children,"  says  Prof.  Ely,  "is  likewise 
favored  in  the  Freiheit,  in  order  that  the  old  family  may 
completely  abandon  the  field  to  free  love." 

Having  lost  all  faith  in  the  ballot,  the  Internationals 
propose  to  carry  out  their  "reforms"  by  force.  The 
following  is  from  the  Pittsburg  manifesto:  "  x\gitation 
for  the  purpose  of  organization ;  organization  for  the  pur- 
pose of  rebellion.  In  these  few  words  the  ways  are 
marked,  which  the  workers  must  take  if  they  want  to 
be  rid  of  their  chains  ....  We  could  show,  by  scores 
of  ilhistrations,  that  all  attempts  in  the  past  to  reform 
this  monstrous  system  by  peaceable  means,  such  as  the 
ballot,  have  been  futile,  and  all  such  eliorts  in  the  future 
must  necessarily  be  so.  .  .  .  There  remains  but  one  re- 
course— force !  " 

The  Vorbote,  published  in  Chicago,  glorifies  dynamite 
as  ' '  the  power  which,  in  our  hands,  shall  make  an  end 
of  tyraiiny."  Truth  says:  "War  to  the  palace,  peace 
to  the  cottage,  death  to  luxurious  idleness.  We  have  no 
moment  to  waste.  Arm!  I  say,  to  the  teeth!  for  the 
revolution  is  upon  you."  An  article  in  the  Freiheit,  en- 
titled "Revolutionary  Principles,"  contained  the  follow- 
ing: "He  (the  revolutionist)  is  the  irreconcilable  enemy 
of  this  world,  and,  if  he  continues  to  live  in  it,  it  is  only 
that  he  may  thereby  more  certainly  destroy  it.  He 
knows  only  one  science— namely,  destruction.  For  this 
purpose  he  studies  day  and  night.  For  him  everything 
is  moral  which  favors  the  triumph  of  the  revolution, 
everything  is  immoral  and  criminal  which  hinders  it. 
Day  and  night  may  he  cherish  only  one  thought,  only 
one  purpose— namely,  inexorable  destruction.  While 
he  pursues  this  purpose,  Avithout  rest  and  in  cold  blood, 
he  must  be  ready  to  die,  and  equally  ready  to  kill  every 
one  with  his  own  hands  who  hinders  him  in  the  attain- 


142  I'KIJII.S. — S()(IAI,ISM. 

incnt  of  this  purposo."  Tlieru  hixn  1»lvii  loniicd  in  the 
United  States  a  society  called  "The  Black  Hand,"' 
which,  in  its  proclamation,  urges  "  the  propaganda  of 
deed  in  evcny  form,"  and  cries:  "War  to  the  knife!" 
The  explosions  in  the  Houses  of  Parliament  and  Towei- 
of  London  called  forth  the  following  declarations  at  a 
meeting  of  socialists  in  Chicago:  "This  explosion  has 
demonstrated  that  socialists  can  safely  go  into  large 
congregations  in  broad  daylight  and  explode  their 
bombs. 

"A  little  hog's  grease  and  a  little  nitric  acid  make  a 
terrible  explosion.  Ten  cents'  worth  would  blow  a 
building  to  atoms. 

"Dynamite  can  bo  made  out  of  tlie  dead  bodies  of 
capitalists  as  well  as  out  of  hogs. 

"All  Chicago  can  be  set  ablaze  in  a  niinute  by  elec- 
tricity. 

"Private  property  must  be  abolislied,  if  we  have  to 
use  all  the  dynamite  there  is,  and  blow  ninety -nine  hun- 
dredths of  the  people  off  the  face  of  the  earth."  Such 
teachings  bore  their  legitimate  fruits  in  the  massacre 
of  the  Chicago  Haymarket,  May  4,  1886. 

At  the  time  of  the  railroad  riots,  in  1877,  which  cost 
many  lives,  and  not  less  than  a  hundred  million  dollars 
(if  pi-operty,  an<l  to  (piell  which  ten  states,  reaching 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  called  on  the  President 
of  the  United  States  for  troops,  there  were  but  few 
socialists  among  us,  and  they  seem  to  have  been  taken 
imawai-es  by  the  outbreak;  but  they  will  be  prepared  to 
make  tlie  most  of  the  next.  The.  following  are  stock 
phra.ses,  found  in  all  their  publications:  "Get  ready  for 
anothei-  1S77;  "  "  Buy  a  musket  for  a  repetition  of  1877;  " 
"Buy  dynamite  for  a  second  1877;"  "  Organize  comjia- 
nies  and  drill  to  l)o  ready  for  a  recui-rence  of  the  riots  of 
1877." 

.\s  to  tlic  imiMl)er  ..f  socialists  in  the  United  States 
we  have  no  exact  knowledge.  Their  press  is  numerous 
and  is  increasing.  They  now  have  nineteen  journals, 
whose    comltined    circulation    is    about  8().0()().       Theso 


PERILS. — SOCIALISM.  143 

papers  are  wholly  devoted  to  the  propagation  of  social- 
ism, and  there  are  many  others  which  are  more  or  less 
socialistically  inclined.  Some  six  years  ago,  or  more, 
President  Seelye,  of  Amherst  College,  said:  "There  are 
probably  100,000  men  in  the  United  States  to-day  whose 
animosity  against  all  existing  social  institutions  is  hardly 
less  than  boundless."  And  Prof.  Ely  says:  ^  "  If  1 
wished  to  venture  a  guess, —a  rash  thing  to  do,— I  should 
say  that  there  might  be  half  a  million  adherents  of  the 
general  principles  of  moderate  and  peaceful  sociahsm  in 
the  United  States."  Since  this  opinion  was  expressed, 
some  five  yeai'S  since,  the  class  referred  to  has  undoubt- 
edly had  a  rapid  growth. 

There  are  many  labor  organizations,  which  are  more 
or  less  socialistic  in  their  sympathies  and  ideas,  though 
not  avowedly  connected  with  any  of  the  socialistic 
parties.  The  Vorbote,  of  Chicago,  says:  "You  might  as 
well  ^suppose  the  military  organizations  of  Europe  were 
for  play  and  parade,  as  to  suppose  labor  organizations 
w^re  for  mere  insurance  and  pacific  helpfulness.  They 
are  organized  to  pi^oteq^;  interests,  for  which,  if  the  time 
comes,  they  would  fight. "  But  the  present  strength  of 
socialistic  organizations  in  the  United  States  concerns 
us  less  than  their  prospective  numbers.  Let  us  look 
at  the  conditions  favorable  to  the  growth  of  social- 
ism. 

1.  Most  of  the  Internationals,  the  anarchic  socialists, 
and  a  larger  proportion  of  the  Socialistic  Labor  Party  in 
this  country  are  Germans,  whose  numbers  are  con- 
stantly being  recruited  by  immigration.  The  rapid 
increase  of  socialism  in  Germany  will,  therefore,  natur- 
ally influence  its  growth  here.  The  following  statistics 
of  votes  for  members  of  the  Reichstag  show  its  increase 
in  the  last  twenty  years. 

»  The  Labor  Movement  in  America,  p.  283. 


144  I'Klill.S.— S()(  lALlSM. 

In  1871 12-4,655 

"  1874 351,952 

"  1877 403,288 

"1881 311,1)61 

"  1884 '..  549,990 

"1887 703,128 

"  1890 1,341,587 

At  the  last  election  (1890)  in  Berlin  the  socialists  cast 
U*(;,522  votes,  over  20,000  more  than  all  the  other  parties, 
■•professor  Fawcett,  in  opening  his  present  course  of 
lectures  at  Oxford  (1880),  said  that,  if  the  growth  of  the 
socialistic  political  vote  progressed  in  Germany  and  the 
United  States  for  the  next  fifty  years  as  it  has  for  the 
last  fifty,  capital  can  do  nothing  effectual  against  social- 
ism.'V^ 

2.  There  are  other  infiuences,  which,  though  ohscure, 
arc  no  less  potent  than  immigration  in  fostering  the 
growth  of  socialism  in  America.  Among  the  deep  cur- 
rents of  the  centuries,  flowing  down  through  the  last 
eighteen  hundred  years  and  rising  to  the  surface  in  the 
great  German  Reformation  of  the  sixteenth  centin-y, 
there  has  heen  an  irresistible  drift  toward  individualism. 
Guizot  says  that  the  "prime  element  in  modern  Eui-o- 
pean  civilization  is  the  energy  of  individual  life,  the  force 
of  personal  existence."  The  masses  once  existed  for  the 
state;  the  individual  was  nothing.  When  Clii-ist  said, 
"  What  shall  it  i)rofit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world 
and  lose  his  own  soul?"  thus  teaching  the  priceless 
worth  of  every  human  being,  he  introduced  a  new  idea 
into  the  world,  which  is  leavening  society.  It  has  manu- 
mitted slaves,  it  has  elevated  woman,  it  lias  overthrown 
despotisms  and  written  constitutions,  it  has  swejtt  away 
l)rivilcges  and  abolished  caste;  It  is  bearing  Euroi)e 
onward  to  popular  government.  Is  it  strange  that  the 
liberated  pendulum  should  swing  beyond  the  position  of 
stable  equilibrium?      Already  are  there    signs    of    an 

1  Jospi.li  ("ouk's  Socialism,  p.  17,  18H0. 


PERILS. — SOCIALISM.  145 

excessive  individiialisni  among  us;  a  certain  sell-asser- 
tion, a  contempt  of  authority,  which  forgets  that  duties 
are  co-extensive  with  rights.  Anarchism  is  only  "indi- 
vidualism gone  mad."  This  powerful  movement,  there- 
fore, toward  individualism,  and  especially  its  perceptible 
tendency  toward  extremes,  is  favorable  to  the  spread  of 
socialism,  as  advocated  by  the  Internationalists. 

3.  The  prevalence  of  skepticism,  also,  is  significant  in 
this  connection.  A  wide-spread  infidelity  preceded  the 
French  Revolution,  and  helped  to  prepare  the  way  for 
it.  A  criminal  in  a  prison  on  the  Rhine  left,  a  few  years 
since,  on  the  walls  of  his  cell,  the  following  message  for 
his  successors:  "  I  will  say  a  word  to  you.  There  is  no 
heaven  or  hell.  When  once  you  are  dead  there  is  an  end 
of  everything.  Therefore,  ye  scoundrels,  grab  whatever 
you  can;  only  do  not  let  yourselves  be  grabbed. 
Amen."  Not  only  does  irreligion  remove  all  salutary 
fear  of  retribution  hereafter,  and  thus  give  over  low- 
minded  men  to  violence  and  excess;  but,  when  a  man 
has  lost  all  portion  in  another  life,  he  is  the  more  deter- 
mined to  have  his  proportion  in  this.  There  are  Chris- 
tian socialists;  but  the  Internationalists  are  gross  mate- 
rialists. The  socialist,  Boruttau,  says:  ' '  No  man  else  is 
worthy  of  the  name  of  socialist  save  he  who,  himself  an 
atheist,  devotes  his  exertions  with  all  zeal  to  the  spread 
of  atheism. "  The  great  increase,  therefore,  of  skepticism 
m  this  generation,  and  especially  of  doubt  touching  the 
sanctions  of  the  divine  law,  has  prepared  a  quick  and 
fruitful  soil  for  socialism,  of  the  violent  and  godless  sort. 
4.  Equality  is  one  of  the  dreams  of  socialism.  It  pro- 
tests against  all  class  distinctions.  The  development  of 
classes,  therefore,  in  a  republic,  or  the  widening  of  the 
breach  between  them,  is  provocative  of  socialistic  agita- 
tion and  growth.  Among  the  far-reaching  influences  of 
mechanical  invention  is  a  tendency,  as  yet  unchecked, 
to  heighten  differences  of  condition,  to  establish  social 
classes,  and  erect  barriers  between  them.  In  a  sense, 
classes  do  and  must  exist  wherever  there  are  resem- 
blances and  differences;  but  so  long  as  the  individual 


146  PERILS. — SOCIALISM, 

members  of  social  classes  easily  rise  or  fall  from  one  to 
the  other,  by  virtue  of  their  own  acts,  such  classes  are 
neither  unrepublican  nor  unsafe.  But,  when  they  be- 
come practically  hereditary,  differences  are  inherited 
and  increased,  antipathies  are  strengthened,  the  gulf  be- 
twi^n  them  is  widened  and  they  harden  into  casts  which 
•  are  both  unrepublican  and  dangerous.  Now  the  tend- 
ency of  mechanical  invention,  under  our  present  indus- 
ti'ial  system,  is  to  separate  classes  more  widely,  and  to 
render  them  hereditary. 

Before  the  age  of  machinery,  master,  journej'men  and 
apprentices  worked  together  on  familiar  terms.  The  ap- 
prentice looked  forward  to  the  time  when  he  should 
receive  a  journeymans  wages,  and  the  journeyman 
might  reasonably  hope  some  day  to  have  a  shop  of  his 
own.  Under  this  system  there  was  little  opportunity  to 
develop  class  distinctions  and  jealousies. 

Tools  were  not  so  expensive  but  that  the  workman 
might  own  them.  And  if  he  did  not  like  his  employer, 
he  could  leave;  taking  with  him  the  means  of  earning  a 
liveUhood.  If  he  did  not  easily  find  another  employer, 
he  could  somcAvhere  set  up  for  himself.  This  single  fact 
of  owning  his  tools  made  him  independent.  But  the  in- 
troduction of  machinery  changed  all  this.  It  could  not 
be  carried  from  place  to  place  like  a  kit  of  tools.  It  was 
too  expensive  for  the  Avorkman  to  own.  Without  the 
machinery,  OAvned  by  the  employer,  he  was  helpless.  If 
he  found  himself  out  of  a  job,  he  could  not  set  up  for 
himself.  He  lias  lost  his  independence.  Thus  machin- 
ery has  developed  a  dependent  class. 
!  Moreover  machinery  has  rendered  it  vastly  more  dif- 
\  ficult  to  rise  from  the  condition  of  an  employee  to  that  of 
/  an  employer,  th\is  separating  these  classes  more  widely. 
'  Once  they  were  only  a  step  apart.  That  step  could 
be  taken  by  a  workman's  employing  one  other.  They 
worked  side  by  sitlc.  until  tlie  business  denvuided 
another  "hand,"  and  th(>n  anotlier,  until  the  little  shop 
had  grown  into  a  large  one.  Thus  gi-adually  the  work- 
man acquired  capital— a  course  open  to  every  mechanic. 


PERILS, — SOCIALISM.  147 

But  since  the  introduction  oi:  machinery,  a  considerable 
capital  is  necessary  to  make  a  beginning.  It  is  found 
that  other  things  being  equal,  the  small  factory  can 
not  compete  with  the  large  one,  hence  fortunes  are 
massed  and  factories  become  immense.  A  mechanic, 
by  some  happy  invention  or  through  remarkable  abili- 
ties, may  yet  become  a  capitalist  and  an  employer,  but 
the  condition  of  the  average  operative  to-day  is  separated 
from  that  of  his  employer  by  an  almost  impassable 
gulf. 

The  immense  production  which  has  followed  the 
advent  of  machinery  has  greatly  raised  the  standard  of 
living  in  all  classes  of  society.  There  has  not  been  a  cor- 
responding rise  in  wages,  though  they  are  much  higher 
now  than  they  were  a  hundred  or  fifty  years  ago.  This 
discrepancy  between  wants  and  wages  results  in  condi- 
tions which  tend  to  form  among  operatives  an  heredi- 
tary class.  In  Massachusetts,  where  statistics  of  labor 
are  the  most  elaborate  published,  the. average  working 
man  is  unable  to  support  the  average  working  man's 
family.  In  1883  the  average  expenses  of  working  men's 
iamilies,  in  that  state,  were  $754.42,  while  the  earnings 
of  workmen  who  were  heads  of  families  averaged  $558.- 
08.1  This  means  that  the  average  working  man  had  to 
call  on  his  wife  and  children  to  assist  in  earning  their 
support.  We  accordingly  find  that,  in  the  manufactures 
and  mechanical  industries  of  the  state,  in  1883,  there 
were  engaged  28,714  children  under  sixteen  years  of  age. 
Of  the  average  working  man's  family  32.44  per  cent,  of 
the  support  fell  upon  the  children  and  mother.  I  am 
not  aware  that  the  condition  of  the  worliing  man  is  at 
all  exceptional  in  Massachusetts.  ' '  In  their  last  report, 
the  Illinois  Commissioners  of  Labor  Statistics  say  that 
their  tables  of  wages  and  cost  of  living  are  repre- 
sentative onlj^  of  intelligent  working  men,  who  make 
the  most  of  their  advantages,  and  do  not  reach  '  the  con- 
fines of  that  world  of  helpless  ignorance  and  destitution 

1  Fifteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Statistics,  p.  464. 


148  PERILS. — SOCIALISM. 

in  which  nuiltitiidos  in  all  large  cities  continually  live, 
and  whose  only  statistics  are  those  of  epidemics,  pauper- 
ism, and  crime.'  'Nevertheless,' they  go  on  to  say,  an 
examination  of  these  tahles  will  demonstrate  that  one- 
half  of  tliese  intelhgent  working  men  of  Illinois  '  are  not 
even  able  to  earn  enough  for  their  daily  bread,  and  have 
to  <lepend  upon  the  labor  of  women  and  children  to  eke 
out  their  miserable  existence.' "i  In  18.S0,  of  persons 
engaged  in  all  occupations  in  the  United  States,  1,118,- 
350  were  children  fifteen  years  of  age  or  under.''  Their 
number,  in  ten  years,  increased  21  per  cent,  more 
rapidly  than  the  population.  These  children  ought  to 
be  in  the  school  instead  of  in  tlie  mill  or  the  mine.  How 
much  longer  will  the  operatives  of  the  United  States  be 
distinguished  for  their  intelligence  if  our  children  under 
sixteen  are  pressed  into  the  factory?  Child  labor,  which 
Professor  Ely  says ^  is  increasing  with  "alarming  rapid- 
ity," tends  to  stunt  the  body  and  cramp  the  mind. 
In  mills  and  factories  children  are  put  to  feeding  ma- 
chines, and  the  narrow  round  of  work  prevents  a 
natural  development  of  either  jnind  or  body.  (Jirls 
brought  up  in  the  factories,  or  whose  mothers  are  there 
employed,  make  poor  housekeepers,  learn  little  of  those 
arts  of  economy  by  which  the  handful  of  meal  and  the 
cruse  of  oil  of  a  meager  income  waste  not,  neither  fail. 
They  make  pcjor  wives,  and  keep  their  husbands  jioor. 
Thus  the  children  of  another  generation  are  forced  into 
the  factory.  Hence  the  tendency  to  establish  a  class  of 
hereditary  opc^ratives  which  class  is  already  established 
in  Europe,  and  will  appear  hi're  in  due  time. 

On  the  other  hand  machinery  also  tends  to  create  a 
class  of  capitalists  and  monopolists.*     Before  the  age  of 


'  lU'iiry  flcorpi-'s  Social  Problems,  p.  100. 

»  Conipendiiiin  of  tli.-  Tentli  Census.  Pnrt  II.  p.  Mir>». 

*  Politicnl  F'conniny,  i>.  'i'il). 

♦  AfUT  iliKCiiiwiiijf  these  teixlencics  of  iiio<lerii  inniiiiraetiires,  De  Ti>eqiie- 
ville  mlvi.ses  Uie  friends  of  deinoenicy  to  "keep  their  eyes  nnxiou^ly  fixed 
in  litis  direction,"  and  udds:  "  For  if  ever  ii  permanent  intMiuutity  of  condi- 
tions and  aristocracy  again  j>enetrate  into  tlie  world,  it  may  be  predicted 


PEllILg. — SOCIALISM.  140 

machinery,  manufacturing  power  was,  of  course,  mus 
cular.  That  power  belonged  to  the  workmen,  and  could 
not  be  monopolized  or  centralized  without  their  consent. 
Every  man  had  a  fair  chance  to  compete  with  his  fellow ; 
no  one  enjoyed  an  immeasurable  advantage ;  but  ma- 
chinery enables  one  man  to  own  a  power  equal  to  that 
of  a  thousand  or  ten  thousand  men.  Modern  science 
and  invention,  in  subjecting  mighty  forces  of  nature  to 
human  control,  have  made  the  Anakim  our  slaves. 
Here  is  an  army  of  giants  who  never  hunger  and  never 
tire,  who  never  suffer  and  never  complain;  when 
ordered  to  stop  working,  they  never  raise  bread  riots. 
They  always  recognize  their  masters,  and  obey  without 
question  and  without  conscience.  The  availability  and 
magnitude  of  these  forces  make  the  concentration  of 
power  both  certain  and  dangerous.  The  masters  of 
these  forces  are  the  Caesars  and  Napoleons  of  modern 
society.  Within  certain  limits,  other  things  being 
equal,  the  larger  the  manufactory  the  cheaper  the  pro- 
duct, and  the  greater  the  percentage  of  profit  on  the 
investment.  This  law  results  in  the  massing  of  capital. 
These  great  enterprises  demand  able  men  to  organize 
and  conduct  them.  The  employer  is  no  longer  a  work- 
man with  his  employees ;  his  work  is  mental,  not  man- 
ual; it  tasks  and  strengthens  all  his  powers  while  that 
of  his  workmen  tends  to  cramp  their  faculties.  He  has 
little  personal  acquaintance  with  his  employees,  and, 
with  noble  exceptions,  has  little  personal  interest  in 
them.  Thus  these  classes  grow  apart.  Says  Mr.  Lecky : 
"Every  change  of  conditions  which  widens  the  chasm 
and  impairs  the  sympathy  between  rich  and  poor,  can- 
not fail,  however  beneficial  may  be  its  effects,  to  bring 
with  it  grave  dangers  to  the  state.  It  is  incontestable 
that  the  immense  increase  of  manufacturing  population 
has    had  this    tendency." i     And  not    only  are    these 


that  this  is  the  channel  by  which  they  will  enter."    Democracy  in.  Auier- 
ica,  Boole  Second,  Chap.  20. 

»  England  in  the  Eighteenth  Century,  Vol.  II.  p.  693. 


150  I'Hiii  Ls. — s()(;fai.ism. 

chisses  becoming  further  removed  h'onx  each  other,  they 
arc  also  becoming  organized  against  each  other.  Capital 
is  combining  in  poweriiil  corporations  and  "trusts," 
and  labor  is  combining  in  powerful  trades-unions.  And 
these  opposing  organizations  make  trials  of  strength, 
offer  terms  and  conditions  of  surrender,  like  two  hostile 
armies. 

5.  Again  socialism  fattens  on  discontent.  A  socialist 
paper  says:  "  Create  disgust  with,  and  rebellion  against, 
existing  usages,  for  success  lies  through  general  dissatis- 
faction." 

It  is  easier  to  arouse  the  discontent  of  the  workman 
now  than  it  once  was ;  among  other  reasons  because  the 
introduction  of  machinery  and  the  division  of  labor 
have  made  a  large  proportion  of  work  monotonous  and 
void  of  all  interest.  Formerly  in  every  trade  there  was 
a  great  variety  of  woi'k.  A  blacksmith,  for  instance, 
was  not  master  of  his  trade  until  he  could  make  a  thou- 
sand things,  from  a  nail  to  an  iron  fence.  There  was 
relief  from  jnonotony,  and  scope  for  ingenuity  and  taste. 
But  machinery  is  introduced,  and  with  it  important 
changes.  It  is  discovered  that  the  subdivision  of  labor 
both  improves  and  cheapens  the  product.  And  this 
double  advantage  has  stimulated  the  tendency  in  that 
direction  until  a  single  article  that  was  once  made  by 
one  workman  now  passes  through  perhaps  threescore 
pairs  of  hands,  each  doing  a  certain  part  of  the  work  on 
every  piece.  Manchester  workmen,  complaining  of  the 
iiK)notony  of  th(Mr  w-ork,  said  to  Mr.  Cook:  "It  is  the 
same  thing  day  by  day,  sir;  it's  the  same  little  thing; 
one  little,  little  thing,  over  and  over  and  over."  Think 
of  making  pin-heads,  ten  hours  a  day,  every  working 
day  in  the  week,  for  a  year— twenty,  forty,  fifty  years! 
In  a  nail  mill,  many  workmen  in  the  midst  of  a  clatter 
enough  to  drown  thought,  do  their  day's  work  bj'  pres.s- 
iiig  into  the  jaws  of  an  ever-ravenous  machine  a  small 
])ar  of  iron,  which  they  turn  rapidly  from  side  to  side. 
Think  of  making  that  one  movement  for  a  lifetime! 
StK-li    (li-earv    inoiiotoiiv    is    the    most    weai-isoine   of   m11 


TERILS. — SOCIALISM.  151 

manual  labor.  It  admits  of  little  interest  and  no  enthu- 
siasm in  one's  work;  and,  worst  of  all,4t  tends  to  cramp 
the  mind  and  to  belittle  the  man.  Once  the  man  who 
made  the  nail  could  make  the  iron  fence,  also ;  now  he 
cannot  even  make  the  nail,  but  only  feed  a  machine  that 
makes  it.  Political  economists  tell  us  that  the  minute 
division  of  labor  tends  to  deteriorate  the  operative. 
This  tendency  may  of  course  be  more  than  counter- 
balanced by  other  and  elevating  influences,  like  those  of 
education,  the  press,  the  ballot.  Such  influences  have 
made  the  mechanics  of  to-day  far  more  intelligent  than 
were  those  of  seventy-five  or  one  hundred  years  ago,  in 
spite  of  the  deteriorating  tendencies  of  the  minute  divi- 
sion of  labor.  But  this  increased  intelligence  enables 
the  operator  better  to  appreciate  the  belittling  influence 
of  his  task,  renders  it  the  more  irksome  and  makes  him 
the  more  dissatisfied  with  the  system  under  which  he 
labors. 

Furthermore,  a  sense  of  insecurity  ministers  to  the 
discontent  of  working  men.  Invention  is  liable,  any 
day,  to  render  a  given  tool  antiquated,  and  this  or  that 
technical  skill  useless.  Every  great  labor-saving  in- 
vention— though  it  eventually  increases  the  demand 
for  labor,  helps  forward  civilization  and  adds  to  hu- 
man comfort— temporarily  throws  great  numbers  out 
of  employment.  The  operative,  who  for  years  confined 
himself  to  one  thing,  has,  thereby,  largely  lost  the  power 
of  adaptation.  He  cannot  turn  his  hand  to  this  or  that ; 
he  is  very  likely  too  old  to  learn  a  new  trade  or  acquire 
new  technical  skill;  he  has  no  alternative;  and  unless 
anchored  by  a  family,  probably  turns  tramp. 

Competition  leads  to  over-production,  which  results 
in  closing  mills  and  factories  for  long  periods,  thus  for 
the  time  being  swelling  the  floating  population.  One  of 
the  striking  characteristics  of  modern  cities  is  the  insta- 
bility of  the  poorer  class  of  inhabitants,  most  of  whom 
move  every  year  or  oftener,  and  many  of  them  every 
three  or  four  months.  We  are  told  that  the  condition  of 
working  men  everywhere  has  vastly  improved  during 


152  PERILS. — SOCIAIJSM. 

the  Itist  half  century,  and  this  is  probably  true,  but  it 
has  not  prevented  a  rapid  growth  of  socialism  in  Europe; 
and  the  fact  that  American  workmen  are  better  off  than 
European,  will  not  prevent  its  spread  here.  De  Tocque- 
ville  observed  and  wondered  that  the  masses  find  their 
position  more  intolerable  the  more  it  is  impro\'ed.  Tliis 
is  because  the  man  improves  faster  than  his  condition ; 
liis  wants  increase  more  rapidly  than  his  comfoi-ts.  A 
savage,  having  nothing,  is  perfectly  contented  so  long 
as  he  wants  nothing.  The  first  step  toward  civilizing 
him  is  to  create  a  want.  Men  rise  in  the  scale  of  civili- 
zation only  as  their  wants  rise;  and,  wherever  a  man 
may  be  on  that  scale,  to  awaken  wants  which  cannot  be 
satisfied  is  to  provoke  discontent  as  surely  as  if  comforts 
were  taken  from  him.  Macaulay  argues  that  the  nine- 
teenth century  is  the  golden  age  of  England,  rather  than 
the  seventeenth,  because  then  "noblemen  were  destitute 
of  comforts,  the  want  of  which  woidd  be  intolerable  to  a 
modern  footman,  and  farmers  and  shop-keei^ers  break- 
fasted on  loaves  the  very  sight  of  which  would  raise  a 
riot  in  a  modern  workhouse,"  and  especially  l)ecanse 
few  knights  had  "libraries  as  good  as  may  now  perpetu- 
ally be  found  in  a  ser\ants'  hall,  or  in  the  back  parlor  of 
a  small  shop-keeper."^  The  evidence  of  progress  is 
found  not  so  much  in  the  fact  that  the  footman  has  a 
library  as  that  ho  iraiit.'i  it.  There  has  been  a  wonderful 
"leveling  up"  of  the  common  people,  and  their  wants 
have  risen  accoi-dingly.  It  is  very  true  that  within  a 
century  there  has  l)een  a  great  multii)licali()n  of  the 
comforts  of  life  among  the  ma.s.ses;  but  the  (|uestion  is 
I  ivhctltcr  that  inrrcasp  has  kept  pace  trith  the  iiiuttij)lira 
I  ti(»i  of  wants.  The  mechanic  of  to-day  who  has  nuich. 
may  be  ])oorer  than  his  grandfather,  who  had  little.  A 
lich  man  may  l)e  i)<)or,  and  a  poor  man  niay  be  rich. 
Poverty  is  something  relative,  not  ab.solute.  I  do  not 
mean  simply  that  a  rich  man  is  poor  by  tlie  side  of  one 
richer.    That  man  is  poor  who  lacks  the  means  of  sup- 

'  Flistorj- <.f  Kiijjiiui.l,  Cliiip  III. 


PERILS. — SOCIALISM.  15:3 

plying  what  seem  to  him  reasonable  wants.  The  hori- 
zon of  the  working  man,  during  this  century,  has  been 
marvelously  expanded;  there  has  been  a  prodigious 
multiplication  of  his  wants.  The  peasant  of  a  few  gen- 
erations ago  knew  little  of  any  lot  save  his  own.  He 
saw  an  aristocracy  above  him,  which  enjoyed  peculiar 
privileges;  but  these  were  often  justified  in  his  eyes  by 
superior  intelligence  and  manners.  The  life  of  the  rich 
and  great  was  far  removed  from  him  and  vague.  He 
was  not  discontented  for  lack  of  luxuries  of  which  he 
knew  nothing.  But  modern  manufactures  and  com- 
merce and  shop  windows  have  made  all  luxuries  famil- 
iar to  all  eyes.  The  Avorking  man  of  to-day  in  the 
United  States  has  probably  had  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, has  traveled  somewhat,  attended  expositions,  vis- 
ited libraries,  art  galleries  and  museums;  through  books 
he  has  become  more  or  less  acquainted  with  all  countries 
and  all  classes  of  society;  he  reads  the  papers,  he  is 
vastly  more  intelligent  than  his  grandfather  Avas,  he 
lives  in  a  larger  world  and  has  many  more  wants. 
Indeed,  his  wants  are  as  boundless  as  his  means  are  lim- 
ited. Education  increases  the  capability  of  enjoyment ; 
and  this  capability  is  increasing  among  the  many  more 
rapidly  than  the  means  of  gratification ;  hence  a  grow- 
ing popular  discontent. 

There  is  much  dissatisfaction  among  the  masses  of 
Europe.  There  would  be  more  if  there  were  greater 
popular  intelligence.  Place  Americans  in  the  circum- 
stances under  which  the  peasant  of  Continental  Europe 
lives,  and  there  would  be  a  revolution  in  twenty-four 
hours.  Hopeless  poverty,  therefore,  in  the  United  States, 
where  there  is  greater  intelligence,  will  be  more  rest- 
less, and  more  easily  become  desperate  than  in  Europe. 
Many  of  our  working  men  are  beginning  to  feel  that, 
under  the  existing  industrial  system,  they  are  con- 
demned to  hopeless  poverty.  We  have  already  seen 
that  the  average  working  man  in  Massachusetts  and 
IlHnois  is  unable  to  support  his  family.  At  that  rate, 
how  long  will  it  tn.ke  him  to  become  the  owner  of  a 


154  PKKILS. — SOCIALISM. 

home?  Of  males  engaged  in  the  industries  of  Massjieliu- 
setts  in  1875,  only  one  in  one  hundred  owned  a  house. 
When  a  working  man  is  unable  to  earn  a  home,  or  to 
lay  by  somelhing  for  old  age.  when  sickness  or  the 
closing  of  the  factoi'y  for  a  few  weeks,  means  debt,  is  it 
strange  that  he  becomes  discontented  i 

And  how  are  such  items  as  the  f«^)llowing,  which  ap- 
peared in  the  i)apers  of  Januarj-,  ISSO.  likely  to  strike 
discontented  laborers?  "  The  profits  of  the  Wall  Street 
Kings  the  past  year  were  enormous.  It  is  estimated 
that  Vanderbilt  made  !J;30,00().()UU;  Jay  Gould,  *ir»,U()U,- 
000;  Russell  Sage,  $10,000,000;  Sidney  Dillon,  $10, 000,000; 
James  R.  Keene,  $8,000,000;  and  three  or  four  others 
from  one  to  two  millions  each;  making  a  grand  total  for 
ten  or  twelve  estates  of  about  eighty  millions  of  dollars." 
Is  it  strange  if  the  working  man  thinks  he  is  not  getting 
his  due  share  of  the  wonderfid  increase  of  national 
wealth? 

Many  wage-workers  have  come  to  feel  that  the  capital- 
ist is  their  natural  enemy  and  that  he  is  always  ready, 
when  opportunity  offers,  to  sacrifice  them  and  their 
families  to  his  selfish  gains.  This  does  the  greatest 
injustice  to  some  employers,  who,  in  times  of  depression, 
run  their  factories  for  months  at  a  daily  lo.ss  to  them- 
selves, rather  than  throw  their  workmen  out  of  employ- 
ment. But  sucli  capitalists  are  as  rare  as  thej-  are  noble. 
More  do  not  hesitate  to  enter  in  to  combinations  power- 
ful enough  to  command  the  trade,  and  then  sto])  work 
for  weeks  and  months  in  order  to  intlate  prices,  already 
fair.  In  November,  18S;5,  the  Association  of  Nail  niakt'rs 
ordered  a  suspc^ision  in  order  to  raise  prices;  and  for  five 
weeks  8.000  workmen  were  thrown  out  of  employment, 
just  a«  winter  was  coming  on.  Ev<'ry  mill  in  the  West 
wan  in  the  "pool"  ;  the  suffering  workmen,  therefore, 
could  not  gain  employment  by  going  from  one  to 
another.  The}-  had  learned  to  do  but  one  thing,  and 
could  not  tui-n  their  hand  to  anything,  else.  There  was 
notliing  to  do  l)ut  nui'se  their  discontent.  Those  Nov(>m- 
ber  and  Dec*  iiil)er  W(!eks  were  a   good   spring-time    for 


PERILS. — SOCIALISM.  155 

sowing  socialistic  seed.  The  Liverpool  Cotton  Exchange 
in  1882  by  manipulating  prices,  stopped  15,000,000  spin- 
les,  thus  taking  the  bread  out  of  the  mouths  of  thou- 
sands of  men,  women,  and  children.  The  above  simply 
illustrates  a  strong  tendency  toward  combination  and 
monopoly,  which  is  one  of  the  darkest  clouds  on  our 
industrial  and  social  horizon.  Many  industries  are  com- 
bining to  force  down  production — that  means  that  work- 
ing men  are  thrown  out  of  employment ;  and  to  force  up 
prices— that  means  increased  cost  of  living.  There  are 
great  numbers  of  "syndicates"  or  "trusts,"  all  formed 
in  the  interest  of  capitalists.  Small  dealers  must  enter 
the  combination  or  be  crushed.  Once  in,  they  must  sub- 
mit to  the  dictation  of  the  "  large  "  men.  Thus  power  is 
being  gathered  ]nore  and  more  into  the  hands  of  con- 
scienceless monopolies. 

Adam  Smith  thought  wheat  was  less  liable  than  any 
other  commodity  to  be  monopolized  by  speculators, 
because  ' '  its  owners  can  never  be  collected  in  one  place. " 
But  this  supposed  impossibility  is  practically  overcome 
by  the  railway  and  telegraph,  and  now  Boards  of  Trade 
arbitrarily  make  and  unmake  the  prices  of  food,  and 
wheat  is  as  easily  ' '  cornered "  as  anything  else,  A 
single  firm  in  Chicago  in  1880,  gained  control  of  the  pork 
market,  more  than  doubled  the  price,  and  cleared  over 
seven  million  dollars  on  a  single  deal,  the  influence  of 
which  in  advancing  prices  Avas  felt  in  every  part  of  the 
world.  The  full  significance  of  such  transactions  is  seen 
only  when  we  consider,  as  has  been  shown  by  Drs.  Drys- 
dale  and  Farr,  of  England,  that  the  death  rate  rises  and 
falls  with  the  prices  of  food.  When  the  necessaries  of 
life  are  "too  easily "  secured,  combinations  declare  a 
war  against  plenty,  production  is  stopped,  and  tens  of 
thousands  are  forbidden  to  earn  while  prices  rise.  Thus, 
in  this  land  of  plenty,  a  few  men  may,  at  their  pleasure, 
order  a  famine  in  thousands  of  homes. 

This  is  modern  and  republican  feudalism.  These 
American  barons  and  lords  of  labor  have  probably  more 
power  and  less  responsibility  than  many  an  olden  feudal 


150  PKUILS. — SOCIALISM. 

lord.  Tliey  close  the  lactoiy  or  the  mine,  and  thousands 
of  workmen  arc  forced  into  unwilling  idleness.  The  cap- 
italist can  ax'bitrarily  raise  the  price  of  necessaries,  can 
prevent  men's  working,  but  has  no  responsibility,  mean- 
while, as  to  their  starving.  Here  is  "  taxation  without 
representation  "  with  a  vengeance.  We  have  developed 
a  despotism  vastly  more  oppressive  and  more  exas])er- 
ating  than  that  against  which  the  thirteen  colonies 
rebelled. 

Working  men  are  apt  to  be  improvident.  It  is  often 
their  own  fault  that  enforced  idleness  so  soon  brings 
want.  Though,  at  times,  they  know  enough  of  want,  as 
a  class  they  know  little  of  self-denial.  They  generally 
live  up  to  the  limit  of  their  means.  If  wages  are  good, 
they  have  the  best  the  market  affords ;  when  work  and 
cri^dit  fail,  they  go  hungry.  Neither  the  capitalist  nor 
tlie  laborer  has  a  monopoly  of  the  fault  for  the  difficul- 
ties existing  between  them.  But  our  incpiiry  is  after 
facts,  not  faults;  and  the  fact  of  improvidence  on  the 
part  of  many  woi'king  men  only  makes  llu'ii*  discontent 
the  deeper  and  more  certain. 

A  communistic  leadei-,  who  visited  America  thirty-five 
years  ago,  was  asked  what  he  thought  of  the  condition 
of  the  working  classes  here.  "It  is  very  bad,"  he 
replied,  "they  are  so  discouragingly  i)rospcrous."  But 
the  growth  of  dissatisfaction  and  of  socialism  among  our 
wage-workers,  in  recent  years,  has  taken  place  notwith- 
standing generally  good  harvests  and  a  great  increase  of 
aggregate  wealth.  Poor  harvests  were  potent  causes  in 
bringing  Louis  XVI.  to  the  guillotine,  and  precipitating 
the  Reign  of  Terror.  We  must,  of  course,  exi)ect  them 
to  occur  as  heretofore,  perhaps  recur  in  successive  years. 
The  condition  of  the  working  man  will  then  probably  be 
bad  enough  to  satisfy  the  most  pessimistic  agitator. 
Every  such  "wint(!r  of  discontent  "  among  laboi'ers  is 
made  "glorious  summer  "for  the  gi-owth  of  socialistic 
ideas. 

We  have  glanced  at  the  causes  which  are  ministering 
to  the  Kr"\^'h  of  socialism  among  us:  a  wid<' sprcid  dis- 


PERILS. — SOCIALISM.  157 

content  on  the  part  of  our  wage-working  population,  the 
development  of  classes  and  class  antipathies,  popular 
skepticism,  a  powerful  individualism,  and  immigration. 
If  these  conditions  should  remain  constant,  socialism 
would  continue  to  grow;  but  most  of  these  causes  are 
becoming  more  active.  Within  the  life-time  of  some  now 
living,  population  will  be  three  times  as  dense  in  the 
United  States  as  it  is  to-day.  Wage-workers,  now  one- 
half  of  all  our  workers,  will  multiply  more  rapidly  than 
the  population.  After  our  agricultural  land  is  all  occu- 
pied, as  it  will  be  a  few  years  hence,  our  agricultural 
population  which  heretofore  has  not  been  socialistically 
inclined,  will  increase  but  little,  while  great  manufac- 
turing and  mining  towns  will  go  on  multiplying  and  to 
multiply.  In  the  development  of  our  manufacturing 
industries  and  our  mining  i-esources  we  have  made,  as 
yet,  hardly  more  than  a  beginning.  When  these  indus- 
tries have  been  multiplied  ten  fold,  the  evils  which  now 
attend  them  will  be  correspondingly  multiplied,  if  pres- 
ent tendencies  continue  unchecked. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that,  side  by  side  with  this 
deep  dis9ontent  of  intelligent  and  unsatisfied  wants,  has 
been  developed,  in  modern  times,  a  tremendous  enginery 
of  destruction,  which  offers  itself  to  every  man.  Since 
the  French  Eevolution  nitroglycerine,  illuminating  gas, 
petroleum,  dynamite,  the  revolver,  the  repeating  rifle 
and  the  Gatling  gun  have  all  come  into  use.  Science  has 
placed  in  man's  hand  superhuman  powers.  Society,  also, 
is  become  more  highly  organized,  much  more  coinplex, 
and  is  thei'efore  much  more  susceptible  of  injury.  There 
never  was  a  time  in  the  history  of  the  world  when  an 
enemy  of  society  could  work  such  mighty  mischief  as 
to-day.  The  more  highly  developed  a  civilization  is,  the 
more  vulnerable  does  it  become.  This  is  pre-eminently 
true  of  a  material  civilization.  Learning,  statesmanship, 
character,  respect  for  law,  love  of  justice,  cannot  be 
blown  up  with  dynamite;  palaces,  factories,  railways, 
Brooklyn  bridges,  Hoosac  tunnels,  and  all  the  long  inven- 
tory of  our  material  wonders  are  destructible  by  mate- 


i;)S  I'liKII.S. — SOCIALISM. 

^fiiil  iiit'aiis.  "Tlu'  cxiilusion  of  a  little  iiili-o  ^lyci'rine 
under  a  few  water-iuaius  would  make  a  great  city  miin- 
habitable;  the  blowing-up  of  a  few  railroad  bridges  and 
tunnels  would  bring  famine  quicker  than  the  wall  of  cir- 
cumvallation  that  Titus  drew  around  Jerusalem;  the 
pumping  of  atmospheric  air  into  the  givs-mains,  and  the 
application  of  a  match  would  tear  up  every  street  and 
level  every  house. "  *  We  are  preparing  conditions  which 
make  possible  a  Reign  of  Terror  that  would  beggar  the 
scenes  of  the  French  Revolution.  I  do  not  regard  such  a 
revolution  as  jn-ohable,  but  we  have  abundant  reason  to 
fear  that  such  outbreaks  as  that  wliich  occurred  in  1877 
will  recur  with  increased  violence  and  greatly  increased 
destruction  of  life  and  property. 

Conditions  at  the  West  are  peculiarly  favorable  to 
the  growth  of  socialism.  The  much  larger  proportion  of 
foreignei-s  there,  and  the  strong  tejidency  of  immigration 
thither,  will  have  great  influence.  There  is  a  sti'ongcr 
individuality  in  the  West.  The  people  are  less  conserva- 
tive ;  there  is  less  regard  for  established  usage  and  opin- 
ion. The  greater  relative  strength  of  Romanism  there  is 
significant;  for  apostate  Catholics  furnish  the  very  soil 
to  which  socialism  is  indigenous.  Mormonism  also  is 
doing  a  like  preparatory  work.  It  is  gathering  together 
great  nuinbers  of  ill  balanced  men,  who  are  duped  for  a 
time  by  Mormon  mununery ;  but  many  of  them,  becoming 
disgusted,  leave  the  church  and  with  it  all  faith  in  relig- 
ion of  any  sort.  Skeptical,  soured,  cranky,  they  are 
excellent  socialistic  material.  Irreligion  abounds  much 
more  than  at  the  East;  the  proportion  of  Christian  men 
is  nnich  smaller.  ''  Into  these  Western  communities  the 
international  societies  and  secret  labor  leagues  and 
Jacobin  clubs,  and  atheistic,  infidel,  rationalistic  organ- 
izations of  every  name  in  the  Old  World,  are  continually 
em]itying  themselves.  They  are  the  natural  reservoirs 
of  whatever  is  imeasy,  turl)Ul(>nt.  antagonistic  to  (Mther 
God  or  man  among  the  populations  across  the  sea.     The}- 

•  Social  Problems,  p.  14. 


PERILS.— .SOCIALISM.  159 

ai-e  also  the  natural  places  of  refuge  for  all  in  our  own 
country  who  are  soured  by  misfortune,  misanthropic, 
seekers  of  radical  reforms,  renegades,  moral  pariahs. 
They  are  hence,  in  the  nature  of  things,  a  sort  of  hot- 
bed where  every  form  of  j)estilent  error  is  sure  to  be 
found  and  to  come  to  quick  fruitage.  You  can  hardly 
find  a  group  of  ranch-men  or  miners  from  Colorado  to 
the  Pacific  who  will  not  have  on  their  tongue's  end  the 
labor  slang  of  Denis  Kearney,  the  infidel  ribaldry  of 
Eobert  Ingersoll,  the  socialistic  theories  of  Karl  Marx."  ^ 

Heretofore  socialism  has  made  few  proselytes  among 
farmers.  Less  than  one-half  of  all  the  land  west  of  the 
Mississippi  is  arable.  The  agricultural  element,  there- 
fore, will  be  a  much  smaller  proportion  of  the  whole* 
population  in  the  West  than  in  the  East.  The  industries 
of  several  of  the  great,  mountain  states  will  be  almost 
wholly  mining  and  manufacturing;  nearly  the  whole 
population,  therefore,  will  be  Avage-workers — the  class 
most  easily  discipled  by  socialistic  agitators.  The  capi- 
talist is  a  large  figure  in  the  West.  He  owns  the  mines, 
he  owns  vast  reaches  of  grazing  land,  and  the  great 
herds  of  cattle.  ^  He  has  also  invested  in  many  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  farming  lands.  Railroads  of  immense 
length  have  been  richly  subsidized  with  lands  which  will 
steadily  appreciate  in  value.  These  corporations  bid 
fair  to  become  much  richer  and  more  powerful  than  like 
monopolies  in  the  East.  The  longest  eastern  roads 
would  hardly  be  considered  more  than  first-rate  side- 
tracks out  West ;  and  some  day  the  wealth  and  power 
of  the  western  roads  will  be  in  proportion  to  their 
length. 

There  was  no  immense  disparity  of  fortune  among  the 


*  Rev.  E.  P.  Goodwin,  D.  D.,  Home  Missionary  Sermon,  p.  10. 

2  At  a  meetiniEr  of  cattle  "  kings  "  in  St.  Louis,  there  were  many  associations 
represented  wliich  own  half  a  million  head  of  stock  or  more.  The  Northern 
New  Mexico  Cattle  Growers'  Association  own  800,000  cattle,  besides  a  large 
number  of  horses,  which  graze  over  l.').000,000  acres  of  land.  The  Texas  Live 
Stock  Association  own  1.000.000  cattle,  1.000,000  sheep  and  330,000  horses.  A 
moderate  estimate  of  their  value  would  be  $45,000,000. 


100  1'J:K1L8. — bUClALKS.M. 

early  settlers  of  the  East.  They  started  pretty  evenly 
ill  the  race,  and  it  has  taken  several  generations  to  de- 
velop the  wide  extremes  of  modern  society;  but  these 
differences  exist  at  the  outset  in  the  West.  Eastern  cap- 
ital has  emptied  itself  into  Western  mines  and  herds 
and  "bonanza"  farms.  The  comparatively  small  popu- 
lation of  the  West  has  to-day  more  millionaires  and 
more  tramps  than  the  whole  country  had  a  few  years 
since.  Many  cattle  and  railway  "kings,''  many  gold 
and  silver  "  kings,"  there  rule  their  subjects.  And  in 
August,  18S4,  eighty  tramps  took  possession  of  Castle- 
ton,  Dakota,  drove  man}'  families  from  their  homes  and 
committed  numerous  excesses.  Western  society  is  organ- 
ised at  the  very  beginning,  on  the  class  distinctions 
which  are  so  favorable  to  the  growth  of  socialism. 

Modern  civilization  is  called  oij  to  contend  for  its  life 
with  forces  which  it  has  evolved.  Said  President 
Seelye,  a  few  years  since,  to  the  graduating  class  of  Am- 
herst College:  "There  is  one  question  of  our  time  to- 
ward which  all  other  questions,  whether  of  nature,  of 
man,  or  of  God,  steadily  tend.  .  .  .  No  one  will  be 
likely  to  dispute  the  affirmation  that  the  social  question 
is,  and  is  to  be,  the  question  of  your  time."  That  ques- 
tion must  be  met  in  the  United  States.  We  need  not 
(piiet  misgiving  with  the  thought  that  popular  govern- 
ment is  our  safety  from  revolution.  It  is  because  of  our 
free  institutions  that  the  great  conflict  of  socialism  with 
society  as  now  organized  is  likely  to  occur  in  the  United 
States.  There  is  a  strong  disposition  among  men  to 
charge  most  of  the  ills  of  their  lot  to  bad  government, 
and  to  seek  a  political  remedy  for  those  ills.  They  ex- 
pect in  the  popularization  of  power  to  find  relief.  Ctni- 
stitutional  government,  a  free  press  and  free  speech 
would  probal)ly  ([uiet  i)opular  agitation  in  Russia  for  a 
generation.  If  Germany  should  become  a  rejuiblic,  we 
shr>uld  hear  little  of  German  socialism  for  a  season. 
l'>Mt  .ill  our  salve  of  this  sort  is  spent;  there  are  no  more 
jMililical  rights  to  bestow;  the  people  are  in  full  pos- 
session.    Here  then,  where  there  is  the  fullest  exercise  of 


IM'^IULS. — SOCIALISM.  IGl 

])()litical  rights,   will  the  people  first  discover  that  the 
ballot  is  not  a  panacea.     Here,  where,  as  we  believe,  the 
ultimate  evolution   of  government  has  taken  place,  will 
restless  men  first  attempt  to  live  without  government. 
There  is  nothing  beyond  republicanism  but  anarchism. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PERILS.— WEALTH. 

The  wealth  of  the  United  States  is  phenomenal.  It  is 
now  (181)0)  estimated  at  !?(>  1, 451), (i(  10,000.1  In  isso  it  was 
valued  at  $43, 042. 000, 000;  more  than  enough  to  buy  the 
Russian  and  Turkisli  Empires,  the  kingdoms  of  Sweden 
and  Norwa}',  Denmark  and  Italy,  together  with  Austra- 
lia, South  Africa  and  all  South  Ameriea—  lands,  mines, 
cities,  palaces,  factories,  shii)s,  liocks,  herds,  jewels, 
moneys,  thrones,  .scepters,  diadems  and  all — the  entire 
possessions  of  177,000,000  people.  The  most  remarlcable 
point  of  this  comparison  is  the  fact  that  European 
wealth  represents  the  accumulations  of  many  centuries, 
while  more  than  lialf  of  ours  has  been  created  in  tAventy 
years. 

Between  18(50-  and  1870  a  million  producers  were  de- 
stroyed bj'  war,  and  not  only  were  tw(i  great  armies 
withdi-awn  from  productive  occupations,  but  they  de- 
voted marvelous  energy  and  ingenuity  to  the  work 
of  destruction.  But,  notwithstanding  all  this,  during 
those  ten  years  we  created  wealth  enough  to  cover  all 
th(»  losses  of  the  war  in  both  North  and  South,  with 
*1 1(5,000.000  to  .spare.'' 

From  1870  to  1890  our  wealtli  increased  ;t;:j  1,31)1,000, (too. 


•  The  World  Almanac,  1890.  These  statistics  were  compiled  from  returns 
ninfle  l).v  the  flimnciiil  offloers  of  the  several  st^ites  and  territories,  and 
l)as<'(l  on  the  assessed  valuations. 

'  In  the  first  edition,  our  wealth  in  1SC()  was  Riven  as  $16,1  (50,000,000.  This 
was  the  value  of  taxe<l  property  only.  Taxed  and  «uita.\ed  property 
amounted  to  $.11. 'JW. 000, 000.  an<l  in  IK.O  to  giJO.tMkS.OOO.OtNl. 

»  That  is,  not  countinK  as  a  loss  the  8l,i'iO,0(X),0<X).  which  emancipation 
suhlracted  from  the  assets  of  the  nation,  we  wero  $M(i,000,000  richer  in  isro 
than  we  were  In  IKOO. 


I'lOUII.S.  —  WK  ALTII.  163 


Wealth  of  tlie  United  States  iu  1890,  $01,459,000,1 


of  the  United  State^,  in  l.s.sO,  ai«,tUi!,rMjO,000 


Wealth  of  the  Kussiaii  and  Turkish  Empires,  Svvedoi 
and  Norway,  Denmark,  Italy.  Australia,  South  Afric: 
and  all  of  South  America  in  1880,  .f  J8,000,000.000. 


1(J4  PEUILS.  —  WKALTII. 

almost  twice  the  entire  wealth  of  the  Empire  of  Russia 
(in  1880;,  to^  be  divided  among  82,000,000  people.  And 
tliis  increase,  it  should  be  observed,  was  only  a  small 
I)art  of  the  wealth  created — the  excess  after  supportinj^ 
the  best-fed  people  in  the  world.  To  the  wealth  of  1870 
was  added,  during  the  next  twenty  years,  a  naverage 
of  more  than  $200,000  every  hour,  night  and  day,  except 
Sunday,  or  $5,000,000  evei-y  week-day  for  that  period. 
Since  1880  our  wealth  has  increased  $17,817,000,000  or  10.8 
per  cent.,  while  population  has  increased  only  about  25 
per  cent.  Great  Britain  is,  by  far,  the  richest  nation  of 
the  Old  World,  and  our  wealth  exceeded  hers  in  1880  by 
$276,000,000;  and  during  the  past  ten  years  our  increase 
has  been  mucli  more  rapid  than  hers.  The  material  prog- 
ress of  the  United  States  from  1870  to  1890  is  wholly 
without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  Avorld. 

It  is  difficult  to  realize  that  the  youngest  of  the  nations 
is  the  richest,  and  that  the  richest  of  all  nations  has, 
as  yet,  only  begun  to  develop  its  resources.  The  crops 
of  1888  were  produced  on  less  than  one-sixth  of  our 
arable  land,  and  much  of  our  agriculture  is  rude;  a 
much  larger  proportion  of  our  mineral  Avealth  is  unde- 
\  eloped;  and  the  only  limit  which  can  be  set  to  our 
jKjssible  manufactures  is  the  world's  need.  Our  domes- 
tic commerce,  already  $18,000,000,000  ^  a  year,  will  double 
and  (piadruple  with  the  growth  of  population.  Here  are 
forty-foiu-  nations,  so  to  speak— and  soon  to  be  half  a 
hundred — enjoying  perfect  freedom  of  intercourse,  with 
but  one  languag*;  and  one  currency,  with  common  inter- 
ests and  common  institutions.  In  Europe,  commerce 
must  run  a  gauntlet  of  custom-houses,  on  a  score  of 
frontiers,  and  must  stumble  over  thrice  jus  many  Ian 
guages;  while  those  nations,  with  conflicting  interests  and 
nuitual  jealousies  and  antipathies,  exhaust  much  of  their 
strength  in  watching,  foiling,  and  crippling  each  other. 
Europe  spends  annually  on  the  maintenance  of  fleets  and 
annies  nearly  $000,000,000.     And  this  is  but  little  more 

»  J.  L.  Stevens,  in  Intvmational  liiview,  December,  1H81. 


PERILS. — WEALTH.  165 

than  one-half  the  actual  cost;  for  these  3,000,000  men 
and  more  are  withdx'awn  from  industrial  pursuits  in  the 
flower  of  their  youth.  If  the  time  of  privates  is  worth 
seventy-five  cents  a  day,  and  that  of  officers  two  dollars, 
the  value  of  labor  annually  lost  to  Europe  by  her  stand- 
ing armies  is  $758,978,000.  In  1889  we  expended  on  our 
army  and  navy  $65,000,000;  and,  reckoning  the  time  of 
the  private  soldier  here  worth  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  day, 
and  that  of  the  officer  worth  four  dollars,  the  value  of 
the  labor  lost  by  our  army  in.  1889  was  only  $16,000,000. 
That  is,  in  competing  with  Europe  for  wealth,  our  loca- 
tion is  worth  to  us  about  $1,576,000,000  a  year.i  The 
editor  of  the  London  Spectator  says:  ^  "  Observei's  in  the 
Old  World  cannot  help  admiring  or  envying  the  Ameri- 
can Treasury,  ....  which  does  not  know  what  to  do 
with  its  wealth  ....  and  which  declares  that  its  sav- 
ings are  so  vast  as  to  impede  and  endanger  all  commer- 
cial business.  .  .  .  Much  credit  is  due  to  the  American 
Constitution,  if  only  because  the  people  worship  it  after 
a  century's  experience ;  but  this  prosperity  of  the  Treas- 
ury is  not  due  to  it,  but  to  a  situation  on  this  planet 
unparalleled  at  once  in  its  exemption  from  danger  and 
in  the  natural  wealth  it  places  at  the  disposal  of  an 
industrious  people."  In  1880  our  wealth  was  23.93  per 
cent,  of  the  wealth  of  all  Europe ;  our  earnings  were  28.  - 
01  per  cent,  of  those  of  Europe;  and  our  increase  of 
wealth  was  49.28  per  cent,  of  European  increase.  From 
1870  to  1880  there  was  a  decrease  of  wealth  per  caput,  in 
Europe,  of  nearly  3  per  cent.,  wliile  here  there  was  an 
increase  of  39  per  cent.  If  existing  conditions  con- 
tinue, the  time  will  undoubtedlj^  come  when  the  people 
of  the  United  States  will  possess  more  wealth  than  all 
the  nations  of  Europe.  Our  riches,  together  with 
the  power,    the    problems  and    dangers  which    attend 

^  It  is  said  our  pensions  cost  us  as  much  as  a  large  standing  array.  This 
is  true,  but  our  pension  appropriations  in  1890  ($109,000,000),  the  largest  ever 
made  up  to  date,  were  not  one-half  as  large  as  those  made  by  Rnnipe 
annually. 

a  Tlie  Spectator,  Decpiubcr  7,  1HS9.    Quoted  in  Our  Race.  p.  1131. 


KiG  PKHILS. — WHAI.Tir. 

'  them,  are  to  be  multiplied  many  fold.  The  collective 
energy  or  working-power  of  a  nation  includes  its  lunnnn 
power,  its  horse  power  and  its  steam  power.  (The  water 
power  is  not  included.)  Mr.  Mulhall  estimated  in  1888 
tiiat  our  collective  energy  then  reached  00,0U0  millions 
of  "  foot-tons  daily."  That  is,  it  was  sufficient  to  raise 
9(»,00()  million  tons  one  foot  in  a  day.'  Our  working- 
power  is  thus  found  b}'  Mr.  Mulhall  to  be  nearly  equal 
to  that  of  the  United  Kingdom  and  Germany  combined, 
whose  population  aggregates  82,()0(),()()0  souls.  He  also 
estimated  that  in  1890  our  working-power  would  reach 
"almost  100,000  millions  of  foot-tons  daily."  This 
reduced  to  man-power  would  be  equal  to  333,0()0,0(iO 
men.  Think  of  such  a  power  at  work  for  the  enricliiiig 
of  our  nation,  and  rapidlj'  increasing.  It  is  a  promise  of 
inispeakal)le  wealth.  And  such  wealth  contains  mighty 
possibilities,  both  for  good  and  evil.  Let  us,  in  this 
connection,  look  at  the  latter. 

].  As  civilization  increases,  wealth  has  more  meaning, 
and  money  a  larger  representative  power.  Civilization 
nuiltipli(;s  wants,  which  money  affords  the  means  of 
gi-atifying.  With  the  gi-owth  of  civilization,  therefoi-e, 
money  will  be  an  ever-increasing  powei",  and  the  object 
of  ever-increasing  desire.  Hence  the  danger  of  ^[(tm- 
inoiiifim,  growing  more  and  more  intense  and  infatuated. 
The  love  of  money  is  the  besetting  sin  of  connnercial 
peoples,  and  runs  in  the  very  blood  of  Anglo-Sa.xons, 
who  are  the  great  wealth-creators  of  the  world.  Our 
soil  is  peculiarly  favoi-able  to  the  growth  of  this  "nx.t 
of  all  evil";  and  for  two  reasons,  first,  wealth  is  more 
easily  amassed  here  than  anywhere  else  in  the  world,  of 
which  wi'  have  already  seen  sufficient  proof;  and.  sec- 
ond, wealth  means  mor(\  has  jnore  power,  here  than 
elsewhere.  Kvei'y  nation  has  its  aristocracy.  In  other 
lands  the  aristocracy  is  one;  of  birth;  in  ours  it  is  one  of 
wealth.     It  is  useless  U)V  us  to  protest  that  we  are  demo 


'  Miillinll's  Orowth  of  Ainericnn  ImliistrifS  am!  Wealth,  p.  W     Rixon  niut 

Co.,    I-..II(|oil 


PERILS. — WEALTH.  167 

cratic,  and  to  plead  the  leveling  character  of  our  institu- 
tions. There  is  among  us  an  aristocracy  of  recognized 
power,  and  that  aristocracy  is  one  of  wealth.  No  her- 
aldry offends  our  republican  prejudices.  Our  ensigns 
armorial  are  the  trade-mark.  Our  laws  and  customs 
recognize  no  noble  titles ;  but  men  can  forego  the  husk 
of  a  title  who  possess  the  fat  ears  of  power.  In  England 
there  is  an  eager  ambition  to  rise  in  rank,  an  ambition 
as  rarely  gratified  as  it  is  commonly  experienced. 
With  us,  aspiration  meets  with  no  such  iron  check  as 
birth.  A  man  has  only  to  build  higher  the  pedestal  of 
his  wealth.  He  may  stand  as  high  as  he  can  build.  His 
wealth  cannot  secure  to  him  genuine  respect,  to  be  sure ; 
but,  for  that  matter,  neither  can  birth.  It  will  secure 
to  him  an  obsequious  deference.  It  may  purchase  polit- 
ical distinction.  It  is  power.  In  the  Old  World,  men 
commonly  live  and  .die  in  the  condition  in  which  they 
are  born.  The  peasant  may  be  discontented,  may  covet 
what  is  beyond  his  reach;  but  his  desire  draws  no 
strength  from  expectafion.  Heretofore,  in  this  country, 
almost  any  laborer,  by  industry  and  economy,  might 
gain  a  competence,  and  even  a  measure  of  wealth ;  and, 
though  now  we  are  beginning  to  approximate  the  condi- 
tions of  European  labor,  young  men,  generally,  when 
they  start  in  life,  still  expect  to  become  rich;  and, 
thinking  not  to  serve  their  god  for  naught,  they  com- 
monly become  faithful  votaries  of  Mammon.  Thus  the 
prizes  of  wealth  in  the  United  States,  being  at  the  same 
time  greater  and  more  easily  won,  and  the  lists  being 
open  to  all  comers,  the  rush  is  more  general,  and  the 
race  more  eager  than  elsewhere. 

"But  they  that  will  be  rich,  fall  into  temptation  and 
a  snare,  and  into  many  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts,  which 
drown  men  in  destruction  and  perdition,  "i  They  who 
"will  be  rich,"  are  tempted  to  resort  to  methods  less 
laborious  and  more  and  more  unscrupulous.  Fierce 
competition  is  leading  to   frequent  adulterations,   and 


108  PERILS.  — WKALTir. 

many  forms  of  bribery.  It  is  driving  legitimate  busi- 
ness to  illegitimate  methods.  Merchants  offer  jirizes  to 
draw  trade,  and  employ  the  lottery  to  enrich  themselves 
and  debauch  the  public.  The  growth  of  the  spirit  of 
speculation  is  ominous.  The  salaries  of  clerks,  the  busi- 
ness capital,  the  bank  deposits  and  trust  funds  of  all 
.sorts  which  disappear  "on  'change,"  indicate  how  wide- 
spread is  the  mihealthy  haste  lo  be  rich.  And  such 
have  the  methods  of  speculation  become  that  "The 
Exchange"  has  degenerated  into  little  better  than  a 
euphemism  for  "  gambling  hell."  "  While  one  bushel  in 
seven  of  the  wdieat  crop  of  the  United  States  is  received 
by  the  Produce  Exchange  of  New  York,  its  traders  buy 
and  sell  two  for  every  one  that  comes  out  of  the  ground. 
When  the  cotton  plantations  of  the  Soutli  yielded  less 
than  six  niillion  bales,  the  ci-op  on  the  New  York  Cotton 
Exchange  was  more  than  thirty-two  millions.  Pennsyl- 
vania does  well  to  run  twenty-four  millions  of  barrels  of 
oil  in  a  year;  but  New  York  City  will  do  as  nnich  in  two 
small  rooms  in  one  week,  and  the  Petroleum  Exchanges 
sold  altogether  last  year  two  thousand  million  barrels."  i 
Such  facts  indicate  how  small  a  portion  of  the  transiic- 
tions  of  the  "Exchange"  is  legitimate  busine.ss,  and 
how  large  a  proportion  is  simple  gambling.  Manuuon- 
ism  is  corrupting  ]>opular  morals  in  many  ways. 
Smiday  amusements  of  every  kind— horse  racing,  base 
ball  theaters,  beer-gardens,  steaniboat  and  railroad 
excursions— are  all  provided  because  tJiere  is  moyieij  in 
them.  Licentious  literature  Hoods  the  land,  jioisoning 
the  minds  of  the  young  and  polluting  their  lives, 
becdHse  there  ix  monei/  in  if.  (iambling  llourisht'S  in 
spite  of  the  law,  and  actually  under  its  license,  hecause 
there  is  money  in  it.  And  that  givat  abomination  of 
desolation,  that  triumi)b  of  Satan,  that  more  than  ten 
Egyi)tian  ])lagues  in  one— the  li<pior  trafhc— grows  and 
thrives  at  the  e.\pens(!  of  every  human  interest,  hecause 
there  is  money  in  it.     Ever  since  greed  of  gold  sold  the 

'   ll.iiiy  I).  Lloyil.   \ijillt  .imrriniii  li.vicw,  August.  IS5W,  ,..  ll«. 


PERILS. — WEALTH.  169 

Christ  and  raffled  for  his  garments,  it  has  crucified 
every  form  of  virtue  between  thieves.  And,  while  Mam- 
monism  corrupts  morals,  it  blocks  reforms.  Men  who 
have  favors  to  ask  of  the  public  are  slow  to  follow  their 
convictions  into  any  unpopular  reform  movement. 
They  can  render  only  a  surreptitious  service.  Their 
discipleship  must  needs  be  secret,  "for  fear  of  the "  cus- 
tomers or  clients  or  patients.  It  is  Mammonism  which 
makes  most  men  invertebrates.  When  important  Mor- 
mon legislation  was  pending,  certain  New  York  mer- 
chants telegraphed  to  members  of  Congress:  "  New  York 
-•sold  $13,000,000  worth  of  goods  to  Utah  last  year.  Hands 
off ! "  The  tribe  of  Demetrius,  the  Ephesian  silver- 
smith, is  everywhere :  men  quick  to  perceive  when  this 
their  craft  by  which  they  have  their  wealth  is  in  danger 
of  being  set  at  naught.  "  Nothing  is  more  timorous  than 
a  million  dollars— except  two  millions." 

Mammonism  is  also  corrupting  the  ballot-box.  The 
last  four  presidential  elections  have  shown  that  the  two 
great  political  parties  are  nearly  equal  in  strength.  The 
vast  majority  of  voters  on  both  sides  are  party  men, 
who  vote  the  same  way  year  after  year.  The  result  of 
the  election  is  determined  by  the  floating  vote.  Of  this, 
a  comparatively  small  portion  is  thoroughly  intelligent 
and  conscientious ;  the  remainder  is,  for  tbe  most  part, 
without  convictions,  without  principle  and  thoroughly 
venal ;  hence  the  great  temptation  to  bribery,  to  which 
both  parties  yield,  i    Moreover,  the  influence  of  great 


1  In  the  first  edition,  written  in  1885,  appeared  the  followinpj  sentence. 
"  And  if  the  two  parties  take  distinct  issue  on  economic  questions— which 
seems  lilcely— eacli  believing  that  the  success  of  the  other  would  involve 
great  financial  disaster,  corruption  money  will  becf)me  an  increasingly  im- 
portant political  factor."  Three  years  later  the  two  parties  did  take  issue  on 
economic  questions,as  anticipated ;  and  never  before  was  bribery  so  extensive, 
so  systematic  and  so  unblushing.  Said  The  New  York  Times,  October  21, 1889, 
"  This  crime  of  bribery  and  corruption  at  the  polls  has  been  on  the  increase 
in  recent  years  until  it  has  become  a  portentous  evil,  menacing- the  very 
foundations  of  free  institutions." 

Hon.  William  M.  Ivins,  in  an  address  before  the  Congregational  Club  of 
New  York,  November  19,  1888,  said  he  was  confident  that  over  S.'i.OOO  men  in 


no  PERILS. — WKALTH. 

corporations,  which  so  often  controls  legislation,  is  mon- 
eyed influence. 

'"2.  Again,  by  reason  of  our  enui'inous  wealtli  and  its 
rapid  increase,  we  are  threatened  with  a  gross  nuiteri'al- 
isni.  The  English  epithet  applied  by  Matthew  Arnold  to 
Chicago.  "  too  beastly  prosi>ei"ous,'"  has  a  subtile  mean- 
ing, which  perhaiis  was  not  intended  b}-  the  distin- 
guished visitor.  Material  growth  may  be  so  much  more 
vigorous  than  the  moral  and  intellectual  Jis  to  have  a 
distinctly  brutalizing  tendenc3\  Life  becomes  sensuous; 
that  is  deemed  real  which  can  be  seen  and  liandled, 
weighed  and  transported ;  and  that  only  has  value  \ 
which  can  be  appi-aised  in  dollars  and  cents.  Wealth 
was  intended  to  minister  to  life,  to  enlarge  it;  when  life 
becomes  only  a  ministry  to  enlarge  wealth,  there  is  mani- 
fest perversion  and  degradation.  We  may  say  of  it  as 
Young  said  of  li'fe--"  An  end  deiilorable!  A  means  di- 
vine!"   Says  Mr.  Whipple:  ^  " there  is  danger  that 

the  nation's  worship  of  lal)ors  whose  worth  is  measured 
by  money  will  give  a  sordid  character  to  its  mightiest 
exertions  of  power,  eliminate  lien )ism  from  its  motives, 
destroy  all  taste  for  lofty  speculation,  and  all  love  for 
ideal  beauty,  and  inliame  individuals  with  a  devouring 
sclf-.seeking,  corrupting  the  verj'  core  of  the  national 
life."  We  have  undoubtedly  developed  a  larger  propor- 
tion of  men  of  whom  the  above  is  a  faithful  picture  than 
any  other  Christian  nation;  men  to  whom  Aga.'^siz's  re- 
mark, "  I  am  offered  five  hundred  dollars  a  night  to  lec- 
ture, but  I  decline  all  invitations,  for  I  have  no  time  to 
make  mone}',"  is  simply  incomprehensible;  it  dazes  ' 
them.  ' 

There   is  a    ''balance  of  ]»ower '"  to   be  preserved  in 
/  the  United  States  as    well  as  in    Europe.     Our   safety 

New  York  City  nloiie  "  r»'ceive<l  money  f.ir  their  allesred  service.s  or  as  l)ril)er8 
in  Mie  eUv'tiod  ilurinK  tlie  recent  i-ampnijrn.  .  .  .  Ami  tins  sum  liasnoreferenc*? 
t/)  the  vast  amniinbi  place<l  in  the  hanils  of  indiviiliials  with  the  ojun  and 
aviitrrd  piirjiose  of  buying  .voles.  ...  I  liave  compared  these  fljjnres  with 
many  practical  iiohticians,  and  tliey  all  agree  that  they  are  conservative  " 
'  Cli:nacter  and  f'hiiracteristic  Men.  j).  1 12. 


PERILS. — WEALTH.  171 

demands  the  preservation  of  a  balance  between  our  ma- 
terial power  and  our  moral  and  intellectual  power.  The 
means  of  self-gratification  should  not  outgrow  the  power 
of  self-control.  Steam-power  would  have  been  useless 
had  we  not  found  in  iron,  or  something  else,  a  greater 
power  of  resistance.  And,  should  we  discover  a  motor 
a  hundred  times  more  powerful  than  steam,  it  would 
prove  not  only  useless  but  fearfully  destructive,  unless 
we  could  find  a  still  greater  resisting  power.  Increasing 
wealth  will  only  prove  the  means  of  destruction,  unless 
it  is  accompanied  by  an  increasing  power  of  control,  a 
stronger  sense  of  justice,  and  a  more  intelligent  compre- 
hension of  its  obligations/! 
j  There  is  a  certain  unfriendliness  between  the  material 
and  the  spiritual.  The  vivid  apprehension  of  the  one 
makes  the  other  seem  unreal.  When  the  life  of  the 
senses  is  intense,  spiritual  existence  and  truths  are  dim; 
and  when  St.  Paul  was  exalted  to  a  spiritual  ecstasy,  the 
senses  were  so  closed  that  he  could  not  tell  whether  he  was 
" in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body."  A  time  of  commer- 
cial stagnation  is  apt  to  be  a  time  of  spiritual  quicken- 
ing, while  great  material  prosperity  is  likely  to  be  ac- 
companied by  spiritual  dearth.  A  poor  nation  is  much 
more  sensitive  to  the  power  of  the  gospel  than  a  rich 
one.  So  Christ  taught :  ' '  How  hardly  sliall  they  that 
have  riches  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God ! "  "  It  is 
easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than 
for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God!"i 
Words  as  true  now  as  when  they  were  first  uttered,  and 
having  a  fuller  meaning  in  the  nineteenth  century  than 
in  the  first.    ' 

'Z.  x\gain,  great  and  increasing  wealth  subjects  us  to 
all  the  perils  of  luxuriousness.  Nations,  in  their  begin- 
nings, are  poor;  poverty  is  favorable  to  hardihood  and 
industry;  industry  leads  to  thrift  and  wealth;  wealth 
pi'oduces  luxury,  and  luxury  results  in  enervation,  cor- 
ruption,   and   destruction.     This  is  the  historic    round 

■  Mark  x.  33,  2.5. 


172  PERILS.— AVJ:  A  LTII. 

which  nations  have  run.  "Nations  have  decayed,  but 
it  has  never  been  with  the  imbecility  of  age."^  "  Ava- 
rice and  luxury  have  been  the  ruin  of  every  great  state. "  - 
Her  American  possessions  made  Spain  the  richest  and 
most  powerful  nation  of  Europe;  but  wealth  induced 
luxury  and  idleness,  whence  came  poverty  and  degrada- 
tion. Rome  was  never  stronger  in  all  the  seeming  ele- 
ments of  power  than  at  the  moment  of  her  fall.  She 
had  grown  rich,  and  riches  had  corrupted  her  morals, 
rendered  her  effeminate,  and  made  her  an  easy  prey  to 
the  lusty  barbarian  of  the  North.  The  material  splen- 
dor of  Israel  reached  its  climax  in  the  glory  of  Solomon's 
reign,  in  which  silver  was  made  to  be  in  Jerusalem  as 
stones;  but  it  was  followed  by  the  immediate  dismem- 
berment of  the  kingdom.  Under  all  that  magnificence, 
at  which  even  Oi'iental  monarchs  wondered,  was  spring- 
ing a  discontent  which  led  to  speedy  revolt.  Bancroft 
has  w^isely  said  that,  "  Sedition  is  bx-ed  in  the  lap  of  lux- 
ury.'^ 

The  influence  of  mechanical  invention  is  to  stimulate 
luxurious  living.  We  are  told  by  Edward  Atkinson 
that  bj-  the  hand  looms  in  the  South  ten  hours'  work  will 
pi'oduce  eight  yards  of  cloth,  while  in  the  factory  of 
New  England  ten  houi-s'  work  will  produce  800  yards. 
In  1888  tho  steam  power  of  the  United  States  was  equni 
to  the  working-power  of  1(51,333,000  men;''  as  if  one-half 
of  all  the  male  workmen  on  the  globe  had  engaged  in  . 
our  service.  When  we  remember  that  this  machinery 
is  an  enormous  producer  of  the  neeessaiies,  comforts, 
and  luxuries  of  life,  but  is  not  a  consumer  of  the  same, 
we  see  how  inunensely  the  average  consumption  per 
caput  has  increased.  As  luxui-ies  are  thus  chenpened 
and  brought  within  the  reach  of  an  ever-widening  circle, 
there  is  an  increasing  tendency  toward  self-indulgence. 
Herodotus  said :  "  It  is  a  law  of  nature  that  faint  li(';u-t(>d 


'  Charles  Sum  nor. 

miiiiiairs(in)wiii..r  ai 


PEiaL8. — WEALTH.  173 

moil  should  be  the  fruit  of  hixurious  countries;  for  we 
never  find  that  the  same  soil  produces  delicacies  and 
heroes."  Is  there  not  danger  that  our  civilization  will 
become  tropical?  The  temperate  zone  has  produced  the 
great  nations,  because  in  it  the  conditions  of  life  have 
been  sufficiently  hard  to  arouse  energy  and  develop 
strength.  Where  men  are  pampered  by  nature,  they 
sink  to  a  low  level;  and  where  civilization  is  of  the 
pampering  sort  the  tendency  is  the  same.  By  means  of 
coal,  which  Mr.  Emerson  calls  a  "portable  climate," 
together  with  increasing  wealth  and  luxuries,  we  are 
multiplying  tropical  conditions  here  in  the  North. 

The  splendor  of  our  riches  will  doubtless  dazzle  the 
world ;  but  history  declares,  in  the  ruins  of  Babylon  and 
Thebes,  of  Carthage  and  Rome,  that  wealth  has  no  con- 
serving power;  that  it  tends  rather  to  enervate  and  cor- 
rupt. Our  wonderful  material  prosperity,  which  is  the 
marvel  of  other  nations,  and  the  boast  of  our  own,  may 
hide  a  decaying  core. 

4.  Again,  another  danger  is  the  marked  and  increas- 
ing tendency  toward  a  congestion  of  ivealth.  The  enor- 
mous concentration  of  power  in  the  hands  of  one  man  is 
unrepublican,  and  dangerous  to  popular  institutions. 
The  framers  of  our  government  aimed  to  secure  the  dis- 
tribution of  power.  They  were  careful  to  make  the  sev- 
eral departments— executive,  legislative,  and  judicial — 
operate  as  checks  on  each  other.  An  executive,  chosen 
by  the  people  and  responsible  to  them,  may  exercise  but 
little  authority ;  and  after  a  short  period  he  must  return 
it  to  them.  But  a  money-king  may  double,  quadruple, 
centuple  his  wealth,  if  he  can.  He  may  exercise  vastly 
more  power  than  the  governor  of  his  state;  but  he  is 
irresponsible.  He  is  not  a  constitutional  monarch,  but  a 
czar.  He  is  not  chosen  by  the  people  with  reference  to 
his  fitness  to  administer  so  great  a  trust ;  he  may  lack 
utterly  all  moral  qualifications  for  it.  We  have  indeed, 
some  rich  men  who  are  an  honor  to  our  civilization ;  but 
the  power  of  many  millions  is  almost  certain  to  find  its 
way  into  strong  and  unscrupulous  hands.     r)iii-  i^mney- 


174  I'KUILS. — WKAM'II. 

kiiig-  niu«t  not,  aitur  two  or  four  years,  return  his  power 
to  tlie  people;  he  has  a  life  tenure  of  ofKee,  provided 
only  his  grip  upon  his  golden  seepter  be  strong.  Less 
than  than  thirty  years  ago,  Emerson  wrote  for  our 
wonder:  "Some  English  private  fortunes  reach,  and 
some  exceed,  a  million  dollars  a  year."  At  least  one 
American  has  had  an  income  of  ^1,000,000  a  month;  and 
others  follow  hard  after  him.  A  writer  in  27/e  Forum  i 
gives  a  list  of  seventy  names  of  persons  in  the  United 
States,  representing  an  aggregate  wealth  of  $2,700,000,- 
000,  or  an  average  of  $37,500,000  each.  "It  would  be 
easy,"  he  says,  "for  any  specially  well-informed  person 
to  make  up  a  list  of  one  hundred  persons  averaging  $25,- 
000,000  each,  in  addition  to  ten  averaging  $100,000,000 
each.  No  such  list  of  concentrated  wealth  could  be 
given  in  any  other  country  in  the  world." 

Superfluity^  on  the  one  hand,  and  dire  want  on  the 
other — the  millionaire  and  the  tramp — are  the  comple- 
ment each  of  the  other.  The  classes  from  which  we 
have  ^nost  to  fear  are  the  two  extremes  of  society — the 
dangerously  rich  and  the  dangerously  poor;  and  the 
former  are  much  more  to  be  feared  than  the  latter. 
Said  Dr.  Howard  Crosby:  "The  danger  which 
threatens  the  uprooting  of  society,  the  demolition  of 
civil  institutions,  the  destruction  of  liberty,  and  the 
desolation  of  all,  is  that  which  comes  from  the  rich  and 
powerful  classes  in  the  community. "  "^  "  The  great  estates 
of  Rome,  in  the  time  of  the  Caesars,  and  of  France  in 
the  time  of  the  Bourl)ons,  rivaled  those  of  the  United 
States  to-day;  but  both  nations  were  on  their  way  to  the 
frenzy  of  revolution,  not  in  spite  of  their  wealth,  but, 
in  some  true  sense,  because  of  it."  **  We  have  seen,  in 
the  preceding  chapter.  Hint  mechanical  invention  tends 
to  create  operative  and  capitalist  classes,  and  render 
them  hereditary.  It  is  the  tendency  of  our  civilization 
to  destroy  the  easy  gradation  from  poor  to    rich  which 

'  Mr.  Tliomas  (i.  SliPftniinn,  in  Forum  for  Novoinher,  18H9. 
»  y<,rlh  American  Review,  April,  ISKi.  p.  3I(!. 
3   Ivii'.oii.'il  ill  Clnis/iaii  Vi,i<,„    O.-toh.T  IT..  l^SI. 


PERILS. — WEALTH.  175 

now  exists,  and  to  divide  society  into  only  two  classes — 
the  rich  and  tlie  comparatively  poor.  In  a  new  country 
almost  any  one  can  do  business  successfully,  and  broad 
margins  will  save  him  from  the  results  of  blunders 
which  would  elsewhere  be  fatal.  But,  with  growing 
population  and  increasing  facilities  of  communication, 
competition  becomes  severe,  and  then  a  slight  advan- 
tage makes  the  difference  between  success  and  failure. 
Accumulated  capital  is  not  a  slight,  but  an  immense 
advantage.  "  To  him  that  hath,  shall  be  given."  There 
will,  therefore,  be  an  increasing  tendency  toward  the 
centralization  of  great  wealth  in  corporations,  Avhich  will 
simply  eat  up  the  small  manufacturers  and  the  small 
dealers.  As  the  two  classes  of  rich  and  poor  grow  more 
distinct,  they  will  become  more  estranged,  and  whether 
the  rich,  like  Sydney  Smith,  come  to  regard  poverty  as 
"infamous,"  it  is  quite  certain  that  many  of  the  poor 
will  look  upon  wealth  as  criminal. 

We  have  traced  some  of  the  natural  tendencies  of 
great  and  increasing  Avealth.  It  should  be  observed 
that  these  tendencies  will  grow  stronger,  because  wealth 
is  increasing  much  more  rapidly  than  popidation.  Re- 
markable as  the  growth  of  the  latter  is,  it  being  four 
times  the  European  rate  of  increase  from  1870  to  1880, 
and  three  times  that  of  England  or  Germany,  the  multi- 
plication of  wealth  has  been  even  more  remarkable.  In 
one  generation,  1850-1880,  our  national  wealth  increased 
more  than  six  fold,  and,  notwithstanding  the  growth  of 
population,  the  wealth  per  caput  increased  nearly  three 
fold.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  this  rate  of  increase 
will  be  sustained  for  years  to  come.  If  it  is,  the  danger 
from  manunonism,  materialism,  luxuriousness,  and  the 
congestion  of  wealth  will  be  a  constantly  increasing 
peril. 

It  remains  to  be  shown  that  the  dangers  of  wealth  are 
greater  at  the  West  than  at  the  East.  There  is  more  of 
mammonism  there.  With  rare  exceptions,  the  West  is 
being  filled  with  a  selected  population,  and  the  principle 
of  selection  is  the  desire  to  better  their  worldly  condi- 


ITG  PEJilLS. — WKAI/JII. 

lion.  Nineteen  men  of  every  twenty  (and  the  twenticll; 
is  either  an  invalid  or  a  home  missionary)  will  tell  yon 
that  they  went  there  for  the  express  purpose  of  making 
money.  Where  land  is  being  rapidly  taken,  and  real 
estate  of  all  sorts  is  rapidly  appreciating  in  value,  men 
make  everj^  possible  present  endeavor  with  reference  to 
the  future.  Under  such  conditions  the  race  after  wealth 
becomes  peculiarly  eager.  The  gambling  spirit  which 
always  prevails  in  mining  regions  exerts  a  wide  influ- 
ence, even  in  agricultural  states.  Farmers  often  rent 
land,  put  their  entire  capital  into  a  great  acreage,  and 
stake  everything  on  a  single  croj).  The  sudden  wealth 
often  realized  in  the  mines  stimulates  the  general  haste 
to  be  rich.  And  wdiere  riches  are  almost  the  sole  object 
of  endeavor,  their  possession  gives  greater  power.  In 
the  Rocky  Mountains  a  man  may  be  to-day  a  caterer  or 
bar-tender,  fit  for  that  and  nothing  more;  to-morrow, 
without  any  good  wit  of  his  own,  a  millionaire;  next 
day,  because  "Mammon  wins  his  way  where  seraphs 
might  despair,"'  a  lieutenant-governor  or  United  States 
senator.  The  demoralizing  atmosphere  of  the  New 
West  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  there  are  everywhere 
clnn-ch -members  Avho  seem  to  have  left  their  religion 
behind  when  they  crossed  the  Missouri.  Many  men  who 
lived  reputable  Christian  lives  in  the  East  are  there 
swept  into  the  great  maelstrom  of  worldliness. 

As  a  comment  on  our  gross  materialism  here  in  the 
United  States,  and  especially  in  the  far  West,  I  will 
(juote  a  short  passage  from  the  note  book  of  the  musi- 
cian, Gottschalk.  Being  ill  for  three  days  in  a  town  in 
Nevada,  and  finding  himself  utterly  deserted,  he  gives 
vent  to  his  feelings  in  these  words:  "I  defy  your  find- 
ing, in  the  whole  of  Europe,  a  village  where  an  artist  of 
reputation  would  find  himself  as  isolated  as  I  have 
been  here.  If,  in  place  of  playing  the  piano,  of  having 
cc'mposed  two  or  three  hundred  pieces,  of  having  given 
seven  or  eight  thousand  concerts,  of  having  given  to 
the  poor  one  hundred  and  fiftj-  thousand  dollars,  of 
having  been  knighted  twice,  I  had  sold  successfully  for 


PERILS. — WEALTH.  177 

ten  years,  quarters  of  salted  hog,  my  poor,  isolated 
chamber  would  have  been  invaded  by  adorers  and  ad- 
mirers." 

There  is  more  danger  of  luxuriousness  at  the  West,  a 
greater  extravagance  than  among  Eastern  people  of  like 
means.  Money  comes  faster  and  goes  faster.  There  is 
little  of  that  strict  economy  which  is  so  often  practiced 
at  the  East.  A  western  town  of  ten  thousand  inhabi- 
tants will  boast  of  "  carrying  all  the  style  "  of  an  eastern 
city  of  fifty  thousand.  New  villages  are  likely  to  have 
more  electric  lights  and  telephones  than  some  of  the 
great  cities  of  Europe.  The  millionaires  of  the  West 
were  not  many  of  them  born  to  wealth.  They  have 
made  their  riches  within  a  few  years ;  and  such  are  the 
men  to  spend  money  freely.  They  become  the  social 
legislators,  and  help  to  create  customs  of  free  expendi- 
ture. 

The  striking  centralization  of  capital  which  has 
already  taken  place  at  the  West  was  sufficiently  noticed 
in  the  preceding  chapter.  Enough  has  been  said  to 
show  that  the  West  is  peculiai-ly  exposed  to  the  dangers 
with  which  wealth  threatens  the  nation. 


Cities. 

Ileniaiiiiii^  lioiJtihiti 

>llof  thcl 

iiited  States  in  ISIMI. 

Cities  of  More  Than 
8. (MX)  Inhabitants. 


Reniainiiit:  i)oi)iil;iti<)n  in  1R90.   Sliowinn  Relative  Cirowtli  of 
Cities  to  entire  ropulation. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

PERILS.— THE  CITY. 

The  city  is  the  nerve  center  of  our  civilization.  It  is 
also  the  storm  center.  The  fact,  therefore,  that  it  is 
growing  much  more  rapidly  than  the  whole  population 
is  full  of  significance.  In  1790  one-thirtieth  of  the  popu- 
lation of  the  United  States  lived  in  cities  of  8,000  inhabi- 
tants and  over;  in  1800,  one  twenty-fifth;  in  1810,  and 
also  in  1820,  one-twentieth;  in  1830,  one-sixteenth;  in 
1840,  one-twelfth;  in  1850,  one-eighth;  in  1860,  one-sixth; 
in  1870,  a  little  over  one-fifth;  and  in  1880,  22.5  per  cent., 
or  nearly  one-fourth,  i  From  1790  to  1880  the  whole  popu- 
lation increased  twelve  fold,  the  urban  population  eighty- 
six  fold.  From  1830  to  1880  the  whole  population  in- 
creased a  little  less  than  four  fold,  the  urban  population 
thirteen  fold.  From  1870  to  1880  the  whole  population 
increased  thirty  per  cent.,  the  urban  population  forty 
per  cent.  2  During  the  half  century  preceding  1880, 
population  in  the  city  increased  more  than  four  times  as 
rapidly  as  that  of  the  village  and  country.  In  1800  there 
were  only  six  cities  in  the  United  States  which  had  a 
population  of  8,000  or  more.  In  1880  there  were  286,  and 
in  1890,  487.3 


1  Compendium  of  the  Tenth  Census,  Part  1,  pp.  xxx  and  8.  The  Elev- 
enth Census  has  not  yet  given  us  the  urban  population  in  1890. 

2  Mr.  William  S.  Springer  in  The  Forum,  December  1890,  estimates  from 
reports  and  semi-official  data  that  the  increase  of  rural  population  from  1880 
to  1890  was  only  eight  per  cent.,  while  that  of  the  urban  population  was  more 
than  57  per  cent. 

3  The  first  official  count.  The  final  official  count  will  douDtless  make  some 
change  in  this  number. 


180  rKKiLs.— tin;  city. 

The  city  lias  become  a  serious  menace  to  our  civiliza- 
tion, because  in  it,  excepting  Mormonism,  each  of  the 
dangers  we  have  discussed  is  enhanced,  and  all  are  focal- 
ized. It  has  a  peculiar  attraction  for  the  immigrant. 
Our  fifty  principal  cities  in  1880  contained  39.3  per  cent, 
of  our  entire  German  population,  and  -15.8  per  cent,  of 
the  Irish.  Our  ten  larger  cities  at  that  time  contained 
only  nine  per  cent,  of  the  entire  population,  but  23  per 
cent,  of  the  foreign.  While  a  little  less  than  one-third  of 
the  population  of  the  United  States  was  foreign  by  birth 
or  parentage,  sixty-two  per  cent,  of  the  population  of 
Cincinnati  was  foreign,  eighty-three  per  cent,  of  Cleve- 
land, sixty -three  per  cent,  of  Boston,'  eighty  per  cent,  of 
New  York,  and  ninety-one  per  cent,  of  Chicago.-^    A  cen- 


'  Tlie  state  Census,  takeu  In  1885  showed  07  per  cent. 

^  "  Foieij;n  by  birth  or  parentage"  includes  those,  only  one  of  whose 
l)arents  was  foreign.  Their  number  is  comparatively  small  and  even  le.ss 
important  than  they  might  seem,  because  in  a  large  proportion  of  instances 
the  native  parent  was  of  foreign  parentage. 

The  Tenth  Census  gives  the  number  of  persons,  foreign-born,  in  eacli  of  Uie 
fifty  principal  cities,  but  does  not  give  the  native-born  population  of  foreign 
parentage.  We  have,  however,  tolerable  satisfactory  data  for  computing 
it.  The  parentage  of  the  populations  of  twenty -eight  states,  seven  terri- 
tories and  the  District  of  Columbia  was  tallied  according  to  a  highly  compli- 
cated form  in  order  to  secure  the  desired  ratios.  On  this  basis  the  Census 
Office  made  an  elaborate  estimate  of  those  who  were  foreign  by  birth  or  par- 
entage in  the  whole  country  and  placed  the  number  at  14,95.'5.94.3.  The  whole 
number  of  the  foreign-born  was  ascertained  to  be  0,679,9^3.  The  former 
number  contains  the  latter  2.2:^  times:  that  is,  the  foreign-born  population 
multiplied  by  2.2;W  gives  the  population  foreign  by  birth  or  jjarentage.  It 
should  be  observed,  howevei',  that  this  ratio  varies  in  different  .states,  due 
doubtless  to  the  preponderance  of  different  races  in  different  sections  of  the 
country.  For  instance,  in  Massachusetts  those  of  foreign  parentage  were 
in  l«sn  almost  exactly  twice  as  many  ns  those  of  foreign  birth.  Accordingly 
for  any  city  in  that  state  we  nuiltiply  the  nmnber  of  foreign-born  by  two. 
which  gives  the  total  of  the  foreign-born  and  the  native-liorn  of  foreign  par- 
entage, provided  the  ratio  between  the  two  is  the  same  in  the  cities  as  in  the 
whole  state,  which  must  l)e  assumed  as  long  as  there  is  no  evidence  to  the 
contrary.  In  Wisconsin,  the  Census  showed  that  those  of  foreign  parent- 
age were  2.34  times  the  number  of  the  foreign-born,  while  in  Mi.ssouri  the 
ratio  was  2.0.3  to  one. 

Accordingly,  in  order  to  estimate  the  number  of  those  foreign  by  birth  or 
parentage  in  a  given  city  in  any  one  of  the  thirty-flve  states  and  territories 
in  which  the  above  tally  was  made,  we  midtiply  the  niunber  of  the  foreign 
born  in  that  city  by  the  nmnber  which  the  census  showed  to  be  the  ratio 


PERILS. — THE    CITY.  181 

sus  of  Massachusetts,  taken  in  1885,  showed  that  in  65 
towns  and  cities  of  the  state  65.1  per  cent,  of  the  popula- 
tion was  foreign  by  birth  or  parentage. 

Because  our  cities  are  so  largely  foreign,  Romanism 
finds  in  them  its  chief  strength. 

For  the  same  reason  the  saloon,  together  with  the 
intemperance  and  the  liquor  power  which  it  represents, 
is  multiplied  in  the  city.  East  of  the  Mississippi  there 
was,  in  1880,  one  saloon  to  every  438  of  the  population ; 
in  Boston,  one  to  every  329 :  in  Cleveland,  one  to  every 
192 ;  in  Chicago,  one  to  every  179 ;  in  New  York,  one  to 
every  171;  in  Cincinnati,  one  to  every  124.  Of  course 
the  demoralizing  and  pauperizing  power  of  the  saloons 
and  their  debauching  influence  in  politics  increase  with 
their  numerical  strength. 

It  is  the  city  where  wealth  is  massed ;  and  here  are  the 
tangible  evidences  of  it  piled  many  stories  high.  Here 
the  sway  of  Mammon  is  widest,  and  his  worship  the 
most  constant  and  eager.  Here  are  luxuries  gathered— 
everything  that  dazzles  the  eye,  or  tempts  the  appetite ; 
here  is  the  most  extravagant  expenditure.  Here,  also, 
is  the  congestion  of  wealth  the  severest.  Dives  and 
Lazarus  are  brought  face  to  face;  here,  in  sharp  con- 
trast, are  the  ennui  of  surfeit  and  the  desperation  of 
starvation.  The  rich  are  richer,  and  the  poor  are  poorer, 
in  the  city  than  elsewhere ;  and,  as  a  rule,  the  greater 


between  those  of  foreign  parentage  and  those  of  foreign  birth  in  the  state  in 
which  the  city  is  located.  If  the  city  is  in  a  state  in  which  the  tally  wns  not 
made,  as  for  instance,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio  or  Illinois,  the  best  we  can  do  is  to 
multiply  by  the  number  which  is  the  average  for  the  whole  coimtry,  viz., 

We  hear  it  objected  that  one  does  not  see  in  our  cities  any  such  proportion 
of  foreigners  as  is  indicated  by  the  above  figures.  It  should  be  reraembei-ed 
that  of  the  population  foreign  by  birtli  or  parentage,  five-ninths  were  horn 
in  the  United  States  ;  and  at  least  one  quarter  of  the  foreign-born  came  to 
this  country  in  childhood,  so  that  six-ninths  or  two-thirds  of  this  population 
though  it  remains  largely  foreign  in  ideas,  becomes  thoroughly  American- 
ized in  speech  and  appearance. 

Accordingly  if  twenty-one  per  cent,  of  the  population  of  Boston  appear 
foreign,  we  nuist  not  be  surprised  to  learn  that  si.xty-three  per  cent,  are  for- 
eign by  birth  or  parentage. 


[S:-l  PHUILS. — THE   CITY. 

tlie  city,  the  greater  are  the  riches  of  the  rich  and  the 
jKiverty  of  the  poor.  Not  only  does  the  proportion  of  the 
pour  increase  with  the  growth  of  the  city,  but  their  con- 
dition becomes  more  wretched.  Tlie  poor  of  a  city  of 
8,000  inhabitants  ai'e  well  off  compared  with  many,  in 
New  York ;  and  there  are  hardly  such  depths  of  woe,  such 
utter  and  heart-wringing  wretchedness  in  New  York  as 
in  London.  Read  in  "The  Bitter  Cry  of  Outcast 
London,"  a  prophecy  of  what  will  some  day  be  seen  in 
American  cities,  provided  existing  tendencies  contimie: 
"  Few  who  will  read  these  pages  have  any  conception  of 
what  these  pestilential  human  rookeries  are,  where  tens 
of  thousands  are  crowded  together  amidst  horrors  which 
call  to  mind  what  we  have  heard  of  the  middle  passage 
of  the  slave-ship.  To  get  into  them  you  have- to  pene- 
trate courts  reeking  with  poisonous  and  malodorous 
gases,  arising  from  accumulations  of  sewage  and  i-efuse 
scattered  in  all  directions,  and  often  flowing  beneath 
your  feet;  courts,  many  of  them  which  the  sun  never 
penetrates,  which  are  never  visited  by  a  breath  of  fresh 
air.  You  have  to  ascend  rotten  staircases,  grope  your 
way  along  dark  and  filthy  passages  swai-ming  with 
vermin.  Then,  if  you  are  not  driven  back  bj^  the  intol- 
erable stench,  you  may  gain  admittance  to  the  dens  in 
which  these  thousands  of  beings  herd  together.  Eiglit 
feet  square!  That  is  about  the  average  size  of  very 
many  of  these  rooms.  Walls  and  ceiling  are  black  witli 
the  accretions  of  filth  which  have  gathered  upon  th^m^ 
through  long  years  of  neglect.  It  is  exuding  thi-ough 
cracks  in  the  boards;  it  is  everywhere.  .  .  .  Eveiy 
room  in  these  rotten  and  reeking  tenements  houses  a 
family,  often  two.  In  one  cellar,  a  sanitaiy  inspector 
reports  finding  a  father,  mother,  three  children,  and 
foiu'  pigs.  .  .  .  Here  are  seven  people  living  in  one 
miderground  kitchen,  and  a  little  dead  child  lying  in 
the  same  room.  Elsewhere  is  a  poor  widow,  her  three 
childreji,  and  a  child  who  had  been  dead  tlu'rtcen  days,  i 

'  The  iiivcstitjftlions  lK>re  ri'|>(irtc(i  were  iiiivtlc  in  tlio  .fi/m/iK  r. 


PERILS. — THE    CITY.  183 

Her  husband,  who  was  a  cabman,  had  shortly  before 
committed  suicide.  ...  In  another  apartment,  nine 
brothers  and  sisters,  from  twenty-nine  years  of  age 
downward,  Uve,  eat,  and  sleep  together.  Here  is  a 
mother  who  turns  her  children  into  the  street  in  the 
early  evening,  because  she  lets  her  room  for  immoral 
purposes  until  long  after  midnight,  when  the  poor  little 
wretches  creep  back  again,  if  they  have  not  found  some 
miserable  shelter  elsewhere.  Where  there  are  beds, 
they  are  simply  heaps  of  dirty  rags,  shavings,  or  straw ; 
but  for  the  most  part  these  miserable  beings  find  rest 
only  upon  the  filthy  boards.  .  .  .  There  are  men 
and  women  who  lie  and  die,  day  by  day,  in  their 
wretched  single  room,  sharing  all  the  family  trouble, 
enduring  the  hunger  and  the  cold,  and  waiting,  without 
hope,  without  a  single  ray  of  comfort,  until  God  curtains 
their  staring  eyes  with  the  merciful  film  of  death."  ^ 
Says  the  writer:  "So  far  from  making  the  most  of  our 
facts  for  the  purpose  of  appealing  to  emotion,  we  have 
been  compelled  to  tone  down  everything,  and  wholly  to 
omit  what  most  needs  to  be  known,  or  the  ears  and  eyes 
of  our  readers  would  have  been  insufferably  outraged. 
Indeed,  no  respectable  printer  would  print,  and  certainly 
no  decent  family  would  admit,  even  the  driest  statement 
of  the  horrors  and  infamies  discovered  in  one  brief  visit- 
ation from  house  to  house."  Such  ai-e  the  conditions 
under  which  many  tens  of  thousands  live  in  London. 
So  much  space  is  given  to  this  picture,  only  because 
London  is  a  future  New  York,  or  Brooklyn,  or  Chicago. 
It  gives  a  very  dim  iinpression  of  what  may  exist  in  a 
great  city  side  by  side  with  enormous  wealth.  Is  it 
strange  that  such  conditions  arouse  a  blind  and  bitter 
hatred  of  our  social  system? 

Socialism  centers  in  the  city,  and  the  materials  of  its 
growth  are  multiplied  with  the  growth  of  the  city. 
Here  is  heaped  the  social  dynamite ;  here  roughs,  gam- 
blers, thieves,  robbers,  lawless  and  desperate  men  of  all 


The  Bitter  Cry  of  Outcast  Loudon,  pp.  3,  4,  10. 


184  PERILS.— THE   CITY. 

sorts,  congregate ;  men  who  are  ready  on  any  pretext 
to  raise  riots  lor  the  purpose  of  destruction  and  phnider ; 
liere  gather  foreigners  and  wage- workers  who  are  espe- 
cially susceptible  to  socialist  arguments:  here  skepticism 
and  irreligion  abound;  here  inequality'  is  the  greatest 
and  most  obvious,  and  the  contrast  between  opulence 
and  penury  the  most  striking;  here  is  suffering  the 
sorest.  As  the  greatest  wickedness  in  the  world  is  to  be 
found  not  among  the  cannibals  of  some  far-off  coast,  but 
in  Christian  lands  where  the  light  of  truth  is  diffused 
and  rejected,  so  the  utmost  depth  of  wretchedness  exists 
not  among  savages  who  have  few  wants,  but  in  great  cities, 
where,  in  the  presence  of  plenty  and  of  every  luxury 
men  starve.  Let  a  man  become  the  owner  of  a  home,  and 
he  is  much  less  susceptible  to  socialistic  propagandism. 
But  real  estate  is  so  high  in  the  city  that  it  is  almost  im- 
possible for  a  Avage- worker  to  become  a  householder.  In 
1888  the  Health  Department  of  New  York  made  a  census 
whicli  revealed  the  fact  that  there  were  tlien  in  tlie  city 
32,3t>0  tenement  houses,i  occupied  by  237,972  families,  and 
1,093,701  souls.  Investigation  in  1890  showed  tliat  the 
tenement  houses  had  increased  in  two  years  about  5,000. 
If  there  were  an  average  of  33.76  to  each  house,  as  in 
1888,  the  tenement  house  population  in  1890  was  nearly 
1,260,000.  Tlie  law  in  New  York  requires  a  juror  to  be 
owner  of  real  or  personal  property  valued  at  not  less  than 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars;  and  this,  the  Connnis- 
sioner  says,  relieves  seventy  thousand  of  the  registered 
voters  of  New  York  City  from  jury  duty.  Let  us  re- 
member that  those  seventy  thousand  voters  represent  a 
population  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  thousand,  or  fifty- 
six  thousand  families,  not  one  of  which  lias  property  to 
the  value  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  "During 
the  past  three  years,  220,976  persons  in  New  York  have 
asked  for  outside  aid  in  one  form  or  another."  "^    Said  a 

•  In  New  York  under  tlie  law  of  1887,  a  tenement  house  is  one  occupied  by 
three  or  more  families,  liviiiK  separaU?ly.  The  above  census  did  not  include 
the  better  class  of  aparlment  houses. 

»  Mrs.  J.  S.  Lowell,  in  The  Christian  Union,  Marcli  2(5,  1885. 


PERILS. — THE    CITV'.  .  185 

New  York  Supreme  Judge,  a  few  years  ago-  "  There  is  a 
large  class — I  was  about  to  say  a  majority — of  the  popu- 
lation of  New  York  and  Brooklyn,  who  just  live,  and  to 
whom  the  rearing  of  two  or  more  children  means  inevit- 
ably a  boy  for  the  penitentiary,  and  a  girl  for  the 
brothel."  ^  "  When  an  English  Judge  tells  us,  as  Mr.  Jus- 
tice Wills  did  the  other  day,  that  there  Avere  any  num- 
ber o£  parents  who  would  kill  their  children  for  a  few 
pounds'  insurance  money,  we  can  form  some  idea  of  the 
horrors  of  the  existence  into  which  many  of  the  children 
of  this  highly  fav^ored  land  are  ushered  at  their  birth. "'- 
Under  such  conditions  smolder  the  volcanic  fires  of  a 
deep  discontent. 

We  have  seen  how  the  dangerous  elements  of  our  civ- 
ilization are  each  multiplied  and  all  concentered  in  the 
city.  Do  we  find  tliere  the  conservative  forces  of  society 
equally  numerous  and  strong?  Here  are  the  tainted 
spots  in  the  body-politic;  where  is  the  salt?  In  1890 
there  was  in  the  United  States  one  Protestant  church 
oi'ganization  to  every  438  of  the  population.  Including 
all  Protestant  churches,  together  with  missions,  there 
was  in  Boston  one  church  to  every  1778  of  the  popula- 
tion, and  in  St.  Louis,  one  to  2662;  not  including  mis- 
sions, there  was  in  Cincinnati  one  Protestant  church  to 
every  2195 ;  in  Buffalo,  one  to  2650 ;  in  Chicago,  one  to 
3601.  The  average  city  church  is  larger  than  the  aver- 
age country  church,  but  allowing  for  this  fact  we  may 
say  that  the  city,  where  the  forces  of  evil  are  massed, 
and  Avhere  the  need  of  Christian  influence  is  peculiarly 
great,  is  from  one-half  to  one-quarter  as  well  supplied 
with  churches  as  the  nation  at  large.  And  church  ac- 
commodations in  the  city  are  growing  more  inadequate 
every  year.  Including  all  Protestant  churches,  Chicago 
had  in  1836  one  church  to  every  1042  of  the  population ; 
in  1851,  one  to  every  1577;  in  1860,  one  to  1820;  in  1870, 
one  to  2433;  in  1880,  one  to  3062:  and  in  1890,  one  to  3601. 


•  Henry  George's  Social  Problems,  p.  98. 
2  III  Darkest  England,  p.  G5. 


ISO  •  PEUILS. — THE    CITY. 

Broukl}-!!  had  in  1840  one  Evangelical  church  to  1575 
souls ;  in  1850,  one  to  17G0 ;  in  1860,  one  to  2035 ;  in  1870,  one 
to  2085 ;  in  1880,  one  to  2673 ;  in  1890,  one  to  291)7.  In  New 
York  City  there  was  in  1840  one  Evangelical  church  to 
every  2071  of  the  population;  in  1850,  one  to  2442;  in 
1860,  one  to  2777 ;  in  1870,  one  to  2480 ;  in  1880,  one  to 
3048 ;  in  1890,  according  to  the  government  census,  one 
to  3544,  and  according  to  the  police  census,  one  to  4006. 
That  is,  if  we  accept  the  latter  enumeration,  New  York 
had  in  round  numbers,  one  Evangelical  church  in  1840  to 
2000  people;  in  1880,  one  to  3000;  and  in  1890,  one  to 
4000.  These  three  cities  seem  to  be  exceptional  only  in 
degree.  So  far  as  I  have  made  investigations,  there  is  a 
general  tendency,  with  variations,  in  the  growth  of 
urban  population  to  outrun  church  provision.  It  is  true 
that  church  buildings  are  larger  now  than  they  used  to 
be,  but  after  recognizing  this  fact,  it  is  evident  that 
church  provision  is  becoming  more  and  more  inadequate 
to  the  needs  of  the  city. 

In  Chicago,  "  There  is  a  certain  districfof  which  a  care- 
ful examination  has  been  made;  and  in  that  district, 
out  of  a  population  of  50,000,  there  are  20,000  under 
twenty  years  of  age,  and  there  are  Sunday-school  accom- 
modations for  less  than  2,000;  that  is,  over  1S,()0()  of  the 
children  and  youth  are  compelled  to  go  without  the  gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ,  because  the  Christian  churches  are 
asleep.  Mr.  Gates  says :  '  What  wonder  that  the  police 
arrested  last  j^ear  7,200  boys  and  girls  for  various  petty 
crimes?  The  devil  cares  for  them.  There  are  261  saloons 
and  dago  shops,  three  theaters  and  other  vile  places,  and 
the  Christian  church  offers Sundaj'-school  accommodation 
to  only  2,000 !  "  '  The  writer  has  found  similar  destitution 
in  the  large  cities  of  Ohio.  And  the  statistics  given 
above  indicate  that  in  the  large  cities  generally,  it  is  com- 
mon to  find  extensive  districts  nearly  or  quite  destitute 
of  the  gospel.  In  the  Fourth  and  Seventh  wards  of 
New  York  City  there  are  70,000  people,  and  seven  Protes- 

»  Dr.  II.  A.  Schauffler's  address  at  Saratoga,  June,  18&1. 


PERILS.— THE   CITY.  187 

tant  churches  and  chapels,  or  one  place  of  worship  to 
every  10,000  of  the  population.  In  the  Tenth  ward  there 
is  a  population  of  47,000  and  two  churches  and  chapels.^ 
South  of  Fourteenth  Street  there  Avas  in  1880  a  popula- 
tion of  541,726,  for  whom  there  were  109  Protestant 
churches  and  missions,  or  about  one  to  every  5000  souls. 
In  1890,  according  to  the  police  census,  there  was  in  the 
same  quarter  a  population  of  596,878,  an  increase  of 
50,000  people,  while  of  churches  and  missions  there  was 
an  increase  of  one.  Indeed,  the  Chi-istian  force  is  not  so 
large  now  as  it  was  ten  or  even  twenty  years  ago,  because 
churches  have  moved  out  and  been  replaced  by  missions. 
It  was  stated  by  Dr.  Schauffler  in  1888  ^  that  during  the 
preceding  twenty  years  nearly  200,000  people  had  moved 
in  below  Fourteenth  Street,  and  seventeen  Protestant 
churches  had  moved  out.  One  Jewish  synagogue  and 
two  Roman  Catholic  churches  had  been  added.  So  that 
counting  churches  of  every  kind,  there  were  f otu'teen  less 
than  there  were  twenty  years  before,  notwithstanding 
the  great  increase  of  population. 

If  moral  and  religious  influences  are  peculiarly  weak 
at  the  point  where  our  social  explosives  are  gathered, 
what  of  city  government?  Are  its  strength  and  purity 
♦  so  exceptional  as  to  insure  the  effective  control  of  these 
dangerous  elements?  In  the  light  of  notorious  facts, 
the  question  sounds  satirical.  It  is  commonly  acknowl- 
edged that  the  government  of  large  cities  in  the  United 
States  is  a  failure.  "In  all  the  great  American  cities 
there  is  to-day  as  clearly  defined  a  ruling  class  as  in  the 
most  aristocratic  countries  in  the  world.  Its  members 
carry  wards  in  their  pockets,  make  up  the  slates  for 
nominating  conventions,  distribute  offices  as  they  bar- 
gain together,  and— though  they  toil  not,  neither  do 
they  spin — wear  the  best  of  raiment  and  spend  money 
lavishly.  They  are  men  of  power,  whose  favor  the  am- 
bitious must  court,  and  whose  vengeance  he  must  avoid. 


1  Dr.  A.  F.  Schauffler  in  Chickeriug  Hall  Conference,  1888. 
a  Ibid. 


ISS  l'i:iClLS. — THE    CITY. 

Who  ure  these  lueu:'  The  wise,  the  gtjod,  the  leaiuied — 
men  who  have  earned  the  confidence  of  their  fellow- 
citizens  by  thepui'ity  of  their  lives,  the  splendor  of  their 
talents,  their  probity  in  public  trusts,  their  deep  study 
of  the  problems  of  government?  No;  they  are  gamblers, 
saloon-keepers,  pugilists,  or  Avorse,  who  have  made  a 
trade  of  controlling  votes  and  of  buying  and  selling 
offices  and  oificial  acts."^  It  has  come  to  this,  that  hold- 
ing a  nuinicipal  office  in  a  large  city  almost  impeaches  a 
man's  character.  Known  integrity  and  competency 
hopelessly  incapacitate  a  man  for  any  office  in  the  gift 
of  a  city  rabble.  In  a  certain  western  city,  the  admin- 
istration of  the  mayor  had  convinced  good  citizens  that 
he  gave  constant  aid  and  comfort  to  gamblers,  thieves, 
saloon-keepers  and  all  the  worst  elements  of  society. 
He  became  a  candidate  for  a  second  term.  The  promi- 
nent men  and  press  of  both  pai-ties  and  the  ministry  of 
all  denominations  united  in  a  Citizens'  League  to  defeat 
him;  but  he  was  triumphantly  returned  to  office  by  tlie 
"lewd  fellcnvs  of  the  baser  sort.*'  And  again,  after  a 
des]ierate  struggle  on  the  part  of  the  better  elements  to 
defeat  liim,  he  was  re-elected  to  a  third  term  of  office. 

Popular  government  in  the  city  is  degenerating  into 
government  by  a  "boss."  During  his  visit  to  this 
country,  Ilei-bei't  Spencer  said  :  "You  retain  the  forms 
of  fi-eedom ;  but  so  far  as  I  can  gather,  there  lias  been  a 
considerable  loss  of  the  substance.  It  is  true  that  those 
who  rule  you  do  not  do  it  by  means  of  retainers  armed 
with  swords;  but  they  do  it  through  regiments  of  men 
armed  with  voting  papers,  who  obey  the  woi"d  of  com- 
mand as  loyally  as  did  tlie  dependents  of  the  old  feudal 
nobles,  and  who  thus  enable  their  leaders  to  override  the 

'  Progress  and  Poverty,  p.  382.  The  twenty-eiftht  leaders  of  Tam- 
many," which  oifjanization  governs  New  York  City,  are  thus  classifled  by 
The  Kvpitiiui  Post:  Tweuty-eiglit  professional  politicians;  one  conviett'd 
niunh-rer;  one  tried  fur  murder  and  acquitted;  one  indicted  for  felonious 
assault;  one  indicted  for  bribery;  four  professional  ganiblei-s;  five  gam- 
bling-house or  "  dive"  keepers;  four  liquor-dealers;  five  former  liquor- 
dealers;  three  sons  of  liquor-dealers;  three  former  pugilists;  four  former 
"toughs;  "  six  members  of  flie  Tw.'e.l  gang,  and  seventeen  ofOee  holders. 


PERILS, — THE    CITY.  ISO 

general  "will,  and  make  the  community  submit  to  their 
exactions  as  effectually  as  their  prototypes  of  old.  Mani- 
festly those  who  framed  your  Constitution  never  dreamed 
that  twenty  thousand  citizens  would  go  to  the  polls  led 
by  a  '  boss.'  " 

As  a  rule,  our  lai-gest  cities  are  the  worst  governed. 
It  is  natural,  therefore,  to  infer  that,  as  our  cities  grow 
larger  and  more  dangerous,  the  government  will  be- 
come more  corrupt,  and  control  will  pass  more  com- 
pletely into  the  hands  of  those  who  themselves  most 
need  to  be  controlled.  If  we  would  appreciate  the  sig- 
nificance of  these  facts  and  tendencies,  we  must  bear 
in  mind  that  the  disproportionate  growth  of  the  city 
is  undoubtedly  to  continue,  and  the  number  of  great 
cities  to  be  largely  increased.  The  extraordinary  growth 
of  urban  population  during  this  century  has  not  been 
at  all  peculiar  to  the  United  States.  It  is  a  character- 
istic of  nineteenth  century  civilization.  And  this  groAvth 
of  the  city  is  taking  place  not  only  in  England  and  Ger- 
many, where  the  increase  of  population  is  rapid,  but 
also  in  France,  where  population  is  practically  station- 
ary, and  even  in  Ireland  where  it  is  declining.  This 
strong  tendency  toward  the  city  is  the  result  chiefly  of 
agricultviral  machinery,  of  manufactures  and  railway 
communication,  and  their  influence  will,  of  course, 
continue.  If  the  growth  of  the  city  in  the  United  States 
has  been  so  rapid  during  this  century,  while  many  mil- 
lions of  acres  were  being  settled,  what  may  be  expected 
when  the  settlement  of  the  West  has  been  completed? 
The  rise  in  the  value  of  land,  when  once  the  agricultural 
lands  have  all  been  occupied  and  population  has  become 
dense,  will  stimulate  yet  more  the  growth  of  the  city; 
for  the  man  of  small  means  will  be  unable  to  command 
a  farm,  and  the  town  will  become  his  only  alternative. 
When  the  public  lands  are  all  taken,  immigration, 
though  it  will  be  considerably  restricted  thereby,  will 
continue,  and  will  crowd  the  cities  more  and  more. 
This  country  will  undoubtedly  have  a  population  of 
several  hundred  millions,  for  the  simple  reason  that  it 


190  ri:i:iLs. — tiik  city. 

is  capable  of  sustaining  that  number.  And  it  looks  as 
if  the  larger  proj)ortion  of  it  would  be  urban.  There 
can  l)e  no  indefinite  increase  of  our  agricultural  popula- 
tion. Its  growth  must  needs  be  slow  after  the  farms 
are  all  taken,  and  it  is  necessarily  limited;  but  the  cities 
may  go  on  doubling  and  doubling  again.  Even  if  the 
growth  of  population  should  be  very  greatly  and  unex- 
pectedly retarded,  there  are  many  now  living  who  will 
see  150,000,000  inhabitants  in  the  United  .States,  and 
more  than  a  quarter  of  that  number  living  in  cities  of 
8,000  and  upward.  And  the  city  -of  the  future  will  be 
more  crowd(;d  than  that  of  to-day,  because  the  elevator 
makes  it  possible  to  build,  as  it  were,  one  city  abox'e 
another.  Thus  is  our  civilization  multiplying  and  focal- 
izing the  elements  of  anarchy  and  destruction.  Nearly 
forty  years  ago  De  Tocqueville  wrote:  "I  look  upon  the 
size  of  certain  American  cities,  and  esjiecially  ujion  the 
natiu-e  of  their  population,  as  a  real  danger  which 
threatens  the  security  of  the  democratic  republics  of  the 
New  World."  That  danger  grows  more  real  and  immi- 
nent every  year. 

And  this  peril,  like  the  others  wliieh  have  been  dis- 
cussed, peculiarly  threatens  the -West.  The  time  will 
doubtless  come  when  a  majority  of  the  great  cities  of 
the  country  will  be  west  of  the  Mississippi.  This  will 
result  naturally  from  the  greater  eventual  population  of 
the  West;  but,  in  addition  to  this  fact,  Avhat  has  beeij 
pointed  out  must  not  be  forgotten,  that  agriculture  will 
occupy  a  much  smaller  place  rehttivehj  in  the  industries 
of  the  West  than  in  those  of  the  East,  because  a  much 
smaller  i)r()portion  of  the  land  is  arable.  The  vast  region 
of  tlu'  Rocky  ^Mountains  will  be  inhabited  chielly  by  a 
mining  and  manufacturing  population,  and  such  popula- 
tions live  in  cities. 

1.  In  gathering  up  the  results  of  the  foregoing  discus- 
sion of  these  several  perils,  it  should  be  remarked  that 
to  ])reserve  rei)\d)lican  institutions  requires  a  higher 
arerfKjc  intelligence  and  virtue  among  large  populatictns 
than  among  small.     The  government  of  5,000,000  people 


PERILS. — THE    CITY.  191 

was  a  simple  thing  compared  with  the  government  of 
50,000,000;  and  the  government  of  50,000,000  is  a  simple 
thing  compared  with  that  of  500,000,000.  There  are 
many  men  who  can  conduct  a  small  business  success- 
fully, who  are  utterly  incapable  of  managing  large  inter- 
ests. In  the  latter  there  are  multiplied  relations  whose 
harmony  must  be  preserved.  A  mistake  is  farther 
reaching.  It  has,  as  it  were,  a  longer  leverage.  This  is 
equally  true  of  the  business  of  government.  The  man 
of  only  average  ability  and  intelligence  discharges 
creditably  the  duties  of  mayor  in  his  little  town ;  but  he 
would  fail  utterly  at  the  head  of  the  state  or  the  nation. 
If  the  people  are  to  govern,  they  must  grow  more  intelli- 
gent as  the  population  and  the  complications  of  govern- 
ment increase.  And  a  higher  morality  is  even  more 
essential.  As  civilization  increases,  as  society  becomes 
more  complex,  as  labor-saving  machinery  is  multiplied 
and  the  division  of  labor  becomes  more  minute,  the  in- 
dividual becomes  more  fractional  and  dependent.  Every 
savage  possesses  all  the  knowledge  of  his  tribe.  Throw 
him  upon  his  own  resources,  and  he  is  self-sufficient.  A 
civilized  man  in  like  circumstances  would  perish.  The 
savage  is  independent.  Civilize  him,  and  he  becomes 
dependent;  the  more  civilized,  the  more  dependent. 
And,  as  men  become  more  dependent  on  each  other, 
they  should  be  able  to  rely  more  implicitly  on  each  other. 
More  complicated  and  multiplied  relations  require  a 
more  delicate  conscience  and  a  stronger  sense  of  justice. 
And  any  failui-e  in  character  or  conduct  under  such 
conditions  is  farther  reaching  and  more  disastrous  in  its 
results. 

•  Is  our  progress  in  morals  and  intelligence  at  all  com- 
parable to  the  growth  of  population  ?  The  nation's 
illiteracy  has  not  been  discussed,  because  it  is  not  one  of 
the  perils  which  peculiarly  thi-eaten  the  West;  but  any 
one  who  would  calculate  our  political  horoscope  must 
allow  it  great  influence  in  connection  with  the  baleful 
stars  which  are  in  the  ascendant.  But  the  danger  which 
arises  from  the  con-uption  of  popular  morals  is  much 


l!»'i  PEItlLS. — TU1-:    CITY. 

greater.  The  rt'i)ublics  of  Greece  and  Rome,  and.  if  I 
mistake  not,  all  the  repnblics  that  have  ever  lived  and 
died,  were  more  intelligent  ut  the  end  than  at  the  begin- 
ning; but  growing  intelligence  could  not  compensate  de- 
caying morals.  What,  tlien,  is  our  moral  progress? 
Are  popular  morals  as  sound  as  they  wei-e  twenty  years 
ago?  There  is,  perhaps,  no  better  index  of  general 
morality  than  Sabbath  observance;  and  everybody 
knows  there  has  been  a  great  increase  of  Sabbatb  dese- 
cration in  twenty  years.  We  have  seen  that  we  are  now 
using  as  a  beverage  29  per  cent,  more  of  alcohol  per  caput 
than  we  were  fifty  years  ago.  Says  Dr.  S.  W.  Dike:* 
"  It  is  safe  to  say  that  divorce  has  been  doubled,  in  pro- 
portion to  marriages  or  population,  in  most  of  the  North- 
ern States  within  thirty  years.  Present  figures  indicate 
a  still  greater  increase."  And  President  Wools(?y,  speak- 
ing of  the  United  States,  said  in  1883  r'^  "  On  the  whole, 
there  can  be  little,  if  any  question,  that  the  ratio  of  di- 
vorces to  marriages  or  to  population  exceeds  that  of  any 
covmtry  in  the  Christian  world."  While  the  jtopulalion 
increased  thirty  pev  cent,  from  1S7()  to  1880,  the  number 
of  criminals  in  the  United  States  increased  82.33  i)er 
cent.  It  looks  very  much  as  if  existing  tendencies  were 
in  the  direction  of  the  dead-line  of  vice.  Excepting 
Mormonism,  all  the  perils  which  have  been  discussed 
seem  to  be  increasing  more  rapidly  than  the  population. 
Are  popular  morals  likely  to  improve  under  their  in- 
cre(isiii(f  inflneiicef 

2.  The  fundamental  idea  of  popular  government  is  the 
distribution  of  power.  It  has  been  the  struggle  of  liberty 
for  ages  to  wrest  power  from  the  hands  of  one  or  the 
few,  and  lodge  it  in  the  hands  of  the  many.  We  ]ia\^ 
seen,  in  the  foregoing  discussion,  tliat  centralized  power 
is  rapidly  growing.  The  "boss"  makes  his  bargain, 
and  sells  his  ten  thousand  or  fifty  thousand  voters  as  if 
tiiey  were  so  many  cattle.  Centralized  wealth  is  cen- 
tralized power ;  and  the  capitalist  and  corporation  find 

'  I'rhicetun  Ri-viev,  Mnivh,  IHKJ.  p.  170. 
*yorth  American  Revieii;  April,  1883,  p.  311. 


PERILS. — THE    CITY.  193 

many  ways  to  control  votes.  The  liquor  power  controls 
thousands  of  votes  in  every  considerable  city.  The  pres- 
ident of  the  Mormon  Church  casts,  say,  sixty  thousand 
votes.  The  Jesuits,  it  is  said,  are  all  under  the  command 
of  one  man  in  Washington.  The  Eoman  Catholic  vote  is 
more  or  less  perfectly  controlled  by  the  priests.  That 
means  that  the  Pope  can  dictate  some  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  votes  in  the  United  States.  Is  there  anything 
unrepublican  in  all  this  ?  And  we  must  remember  that, 
if  pi-esent  tendencies  continue,  these  figures  will  be 
greatly  multiplied  in  the  future.  And  not  only  is  this 
immense  power  lodged  in  the  hand  of  one  man,  which  in 
itself  is  perilous,  but  it  is  wielded  without  the  slightest 
reference  to  any  policy  or  principle  of  government, 
solely  in  the  interests  of  a  church  or  a  business,  or  for 
personal  ends. 

The  result  of  a  national  election  may  depend  on  a 
single  state  ;  the  vote  of  that  state  may  depend  on  a 
single  city  ;  the  vote  of  that  city  may  depend  on  a 
"boss,"  or  a  capitalist,  or  a  corporation;  or  the  election 
may  be  decided,  and  the  policy  of  the  government  may 
be  reversed,  by  the  socialist,  or  liquor,  or  Eoman  Catho- 
lic or  immigrant  vote. 

It  matters  not  by  what  name  we  call  the  man  who 
wields  this  centralized  power — whether  king,  czar,  pope, 
president,  capitalist,  or  boss.  Just  so  far  as  it  is  absolute 
and  irresponsible,  it  is  dangerous. 

3.  These  several  dangerous  elements  are  singularly  net-  \ 
ted  together,  and  serve  to  strengthen  each  other.     It  is 
not  necessary  to  prove  that  any  otie  of  them  is  likely  to 
destroy  our  national  life,  in  order  to  show  that  it  is  imper- 
iled.    A  man  may  die  of  wounds  no  one  of  which  is 
fatal.     No  sober-minded  man  can  look  fairly  at  the  facts,  ', 
and  doubt  that  together  these  perils  constitute  an  array  | 
which  will  seriously  endanger  our  free  institutions,  if  the  ! 
tendencies  which  have  been  pointed  out  continue;  and  j 
especially  is  this  true  in  view  of  the  fact  that  these  perils  \ 
peculiarly  confront  the  West,  where  our  defense  is  weak-  1 
est. 


194  I'KUII.S. — TUK    (ITV. 

Thcae  dangerous  elements  are  now  working,  and  will 
continue  to  work,  incalculable  harm  and  loss— nun-al. 
intellectual,  social,  pecuniary.  But  the  supreme  peril, 
which  will  certainly  come  unless  there  is  found  for  exist- 
ing tendencies  some  effectual  check,  and  must  probably 
be  faced  by  many  now  living,  will  arise,  when,  the  condi- 
tions having  been  fully  prepared,  some  great  industrial 
or  other  crisis  precipitates  an  open  struggle  between  the 
destructive  and  the  conservative  elements  of  society. 
As  civilization  advances,  and  society  becomes  more 
highly  organized,  commercial  transactions  will  be  more 
complex  and  innnense.  As  a  residt,  all  business  relations 
and  industries  will  be  more  sensitive.  Commercial  dis 
tress  in  any  great  business  center  will  the  more  surely 
create  wide-spread  disaster.  Under  such  conditions, 
industrial  paralysis  is  likely  to  occur  from  time  to  time, 
more  general  and  more  prostrating  than  any  heretofore 
known.  When  such  a  commercial  crisis  has  closed  fac- 
tories by  the  ten  thousand,  and  wage-workei's  have  been 
thrown  out  of  employment  by  the  million;  when  the 
public  lands,  which  hitherto  at  such  times  bave  afforded 
relief,  are  all  exhausted;  when  our  urban  population  has 
been  multiplied  several  fold,  and  our  Cincinnatis  have 
become  Chicagos,  our  Chicagos  New  Yorks,  and  our 
New  Yorks  Londons;  when  class  antipathies  are  deep- 
ened; when  socialistic  organizations,  anned  and  drilled, 
are  in  every  city,  and  the  ignorant  and  vicious  power  of 
crowded  populations  has  fully  found  itself;  when  the 
corruption  of  city  governments  is  grown  apace;  when 
crops  fail,  or  some  gigantic  "corner"  doubles  tlie  price 
of  bread;  with  starvation  in  the  home;  with  idle  work- 
men gathered,  sullen  and  despei-ate,  in  the  ssiloons;  with 
unprotected  w(^alth  at  hand;  with  the  tremendous  forces 
of  chemistry  within  easy  reach;  then,  with  the  opportu 
nify,  tlip  means,  the  fit  agoifs,  the  HK^tire,  the  temptation 
to  destro}/,  all  brought  into  en'l  conjunction,  thkn  will 
come  the  real  test  of  our  institutions,  then  will  appear 
whether  w(!  are  capable  of  self-government. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  INFLUENCE  OF  EARLY  SETTLERS. 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  on  being  asked  when  the 
ti-aining  of  a  child  should  begin,  replied  :  "A  hundred 
years  before  he  is  born."  Not  only  should  it  begin  then, 
it  does;  for  inheritance,  together  with  that  which 
necessarily  accompanies  it,  is  the  great  conservative 
influence  which  perpetuates  national  characteristics,  and 
preserves  the  identity  of  races.  In  the  case  of  nations, 
education,  though  it  may  modify  the  results  of  inherit- 
ance ,  is,  itself,  for  the  most  part,  determined  by  inherit- 
ance. What  is  the  difference  between  North  and  South 
America?  It  is  the  difference  between  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  race  and  the  Spanish  race.  What  is  the  differ- 
ence between  Massachusetts  and  Virginia?  It  is  the 
difference  between  the  Pilgi-im  and  the  Cavalier. 
How  unlike  are  Boston,  New  York,  Philadelphia,  New 
Orleans,  Montreal,  and  Quebec?  Religiously,  morally, 
intellectually,  socially,  commercially,  in  enterprise  and 
spirit,  they  differ  to-day  pretty  much  as  their  founders 
differed  generations  ago.  It  is  true  of  the  city  and  na- 
tion as  of  the  herb,  that  its  seed  is  in  itself,  after  its  kind. 

Communities  and  commonwealths,  like  men,  have 
their  childhood,  which  is  the  formative  period.  It  is 
the  first  ])ermanent  settlers  ivho  impress  themselves 
and  their  character  on  the  future.  Powerful  influences 
may,  in  later  years,  produce  im]iortant  modifications; 
but  it  is  early  inflixence  which  is  farthest  reaching,  and 
is  generally  decisive.  It  is  easier  to  form  than  to  re- 
form ;  easier  to  mold  molten  iron  than  to  file  the  cold  cast. 

Look  at  a  few  illustrations  of  the  above  truths.  On 
the  Western  Reserve    are    two   adjoining   townships, 


19(3  THE    IxNFLUENCE    OF    EARLY    SHTTLEliS. 

whicli  \vc'i-e  settled  by  men  of  radically  different  char- 
acter. The  southeni  township  was  founded  bj-  a  far- 
seeing  and  devoted  home  missionary.  He  had  become 
convinced  that  he  could  do  more  to  establish  Christian 
institutions  on  the  Reserve  "by  one  conspicuous  ex- 
ample of  a  well  organized  and  well  Christianized  town- 
ship, with  all  the  best  arrangements  and  appliances  of 
New  England  civilization,  than  by  many  years  of  des- 
nltory  effort  in  the  way  of  missionary  labor."  The  set- 
tlers were  carefully  selected.  None  but  professing 
Christians  were  to  become  landholders.  As  soon  as  a 
few  families  had  moved  into  the  township,  public  wor- 
ship was  commenced,  and  has  ever  since  been  main- 
tained without  interruption.  A  church  was  organized 
under  the  roof  of  the  first  log  cabin.  At  the  center  of 
tlie  township,  where  eight  ro£ids  meet,  was  located  the 
church  building,  fitly  representing  the  central  place  oc- 
cupied by  the  service  of  God  in  the  life  of  the  colony. 
Soon  followed  the  school  house  and  the  public  library. 
And  there,  in  the  midst  of  the  unconquered  forest,  only 
eight  years  after  the  first  white  settlement,  the  people, 
mindful  of  higher  education,  and  true  to  their  New 
England  antecedents,  planted  an  academy.  At  a  very 
early  period  several  benevolent  societies  were  organized, 
and  here  was  opened  the  first  school  for  the  deaf  and 
dumb  in  the  State  of  Ohio. 

The  northern  township  was  first  settled  by  an  iniidel, 
who  seems  to  have  given  to  the  community  not  only  his 
name,  but,  in  large  measure,  his  character  also.  He 
naturally  attracted  men  of  the  same  sort.  It  is  said  he 
e.Ypresscd  the  desire  that  there  might  never  be  a  Chris- 
tian church  in  the  township;  and,  though  this  desire 
was  not  gratified,  the  general  character  of  the  town  has 
been  irreligious.  One  of  the  best  colleges  in  the  West 
was  founded  within  five  miles,  but  I  am  imable  to  learn 
that  any  young  man  from  this  township  has  ever  taken 
a  college  course.    A  few  ^  have  entered  professional  life, 

» I  can  tfaiii  definite  knowledge  of  only  seven,  though  it  is  quite  likely  there 
have  been  more. 


THE    INFLUENCE    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS,  197 

none  of  whom  has  gained  a  wide  reputation.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  southern  township  is  widely  known  to- 
day for  its  moral  and  religious  character,  its  w^ealth  ^ 
and  liberality,  and  for  the  exceptionally  large  number  of 
young  men  and  women  it  sends  to  colleges  and  semina- 
ries. It  has  furnished  many  members  of  the  state  legis- 
lature and  senate.  It  has  been  fruitful  of  ministers  and 
educators,  some  of  whom  have  gained  a  national  reputa- 
tion. From  this  little  village  of  a  few  hundred  inhabi- 
tants have  gone  forth  men  to  college  professorships,  East 
and  West,  to  the  Supreme  Bench  of  the  state,  and  to  the 
United  States  Congress.  The  general  character  of  these 
two  townships  was  fixed  at  the  beginning  of  the  century. 
Their  founders  placed  a  stamp  upon  them  which  abides. 

The  town  of  Boscawen,  New  Hampshire,  was  settled 
in  1734,  by  a  colony  of  Massachusetts  people.  Scarcely 
were  they  settled,  when  they  took  steps  to  secure  "  some 
suitable  man  and  a  Christian  learned  "  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel. The  original  stock  was  good,  and  the  formative  in- 
fluences were  Christian.  We  now  find  that  its  collegiate 
and  professional  record  contains  more  than  130  names, 
among  which  there  are  those  of  two  missionaries,  six 
journalists,  twenty-one  lawyers,  thirty-five  physicians, 
and  forty-two  ministers.  Among  the  eminent  men 
whom  this  town  has  produced  are  General  John  A.  Dix 
and  William  Pitt  Fessenden. 

When  Northampton,  Massachusetts,  was  settled,  in 
1654,  it  was  "  way  out  west"  on  the  frontier.  Among 
the  early  settlers  in  the  then  wilderness,  who  shaped 
the  character  and  history  of  the  town,  were  the  Aliens, 
Bartletts,  Bridgmans,  Clapps,  Dwights,  Elliotts,  Haw- 
leys,  Kings,  Lymans,  Mathers,  Parsons,  Stoddards, 
Strongs,  Tappans.  and  Wrights.  The  town  early  became 
distinguished  for  its  marked  religious  character  and  its 
educational  advantages.     For  a  century  and  a  quarter 

»  Though  the  northern  township  had  the  advantage  of  a  better  soil,  the 
assessed  vahiarion  of  real  and  personal  property  in  the  southern  now  (1885) 
exceeds  that  of  the  other  by  fifty-six  per  cent.  Godliness  is  profitable  to 
the  life  that  now  is. 


108  Till-:    IXFLLKXCE    OF   EAllLY    SETTLERS. 

the  entire  p(jpiihition,  save  the  very  old  and  the  very 
young,  the  sielc  and  their  attendants,  were  fuund  in  the 
church  every  Sabbath.  In  1735,  during  the  i)astorate  of 
Jonathan  Edwards,  over  600,  out  of  a  popuhition  of 
1,100,  were  members  of  the  church.  For  seven  genera- 
tions the  impress  given  by  the  early  settlers  has  re- 
mained. Their  influence  upon  the  community,  and  that 
of  the  connn unity  upon  the  state  and  the  nation,  may  be, 
in  some  measm-e,  estimated  from  the  following  record. ^ 
Among  the  natives  and  residents  of  the  town  are  about 
354  college  graduates,  besides  fifty-six  graduates  of  (jther 
institutions,  one  hundred  and  fourteen  ministers,  eighty- 
four  ministers'  wives,  ten  missionaries,  twenty-five 
judges,  about  one  hundred  and  two  lawyers,  ninety-five 
physicians;  one  hundred  and  one  educators,  including 
seven  college  presidents  and  thirty  professors,  twenty- 
four  editors,  six  historians,  and  twenty-four  authors, 
among  whom  are  George  Bancroft,  John  Lothrop  Mot- 
ley, Professor  W.  D.  Whitney,  and  J.  G.  Holland: 
thirty-eight  officers  of  state,  among  them  two  governoi  >, 
two  secretaries  of  the  Commonwealth,  seven  senators, 
and  eighteen  representatives;  twenty-one  army  officers, 
including  six  colonels  and  two  generals;  twenty-eight 
officers  of  the  United  States,  among  them  a  Secretary  of 
the  Navy,  two  Foreign  Ministers,  a  Treasurer  of  the 
United  States,  five  senators,  eight  members  of  Congress, 
and  one  President. 

If  a  community  produces  or  fails  to  produce  go.)d  citi- 
zens and  able  juen,  the  records  of  the  founders  will 
rarely  fail  to  afford  an  explanation,  for  the  influence  of 
the  early  settlers  continues  operative  until  their  descend- 
ants are  displaced  by  some  other  stock.  It  is  true  the 
glory  is  departing  from  many  a  New  England  village, 
because  men,  alien  in  blood,  in  religion,  and  in  civiliza- 
tion, are  taking  possession  of  homes  in  which  were  once 
reared  the  descendants  of  the  Pilgrims.  Hut  the  fact 
that  the  character  of  Now  England  is  undergoing  im- 

'  Nortliiiiii|iton  Aiiti<|iii(ii-.s.  by  Kev.  Solomon  Clftrk. 


THE    IXFLUEXCE    OF    EARLY    SETTLERS.  19'J 

portaiit  changes  is  no  proof  that  the  impress  now  being- 
given  to  the  new  communities  of  the  West  will  not  be 
permanent.  There  is  no  likelihood  that  the  foreign  im- 
migration now  pouring  in  upon  us  is  ever  to  be  sup- 
planted by  another  stock.  Instead,  it  will  be  reinforced 
until  there  is  an  equalization  of  population,  between  the 
Old  World  and  the  New,  then  it  will  cease.  Beyond  a 
peradventure,  the  character,  and  hence  the  destiny, 
of  the  great  West,  for  centuries  to  come,  is  now  being 
determined. 

"  I  hear  the  ti-ead  of  pioneers. 
Of  nations  yet  to  be ; 
The  first  low  wash  of  waves,  where  soon 
Shall  roll  a  human  sea. 

"  The  rudiments  of  empire  here 
Are  plastic  yet,  and  warm; 
The  chaos  of  a  mighty  world 
Is  rounding  into  form." 

What  the  final  form  of  that  western  world  is  likely  to 
be,  we  may  infer  from  the  forces  which  are  at  work 
shaping  it.  Hoav  do  they  compare  with  the  influences 
which  molded  New  England  institutions?  The  Pilgrim 
Fathers  sought  these  shores  not  simply  as  refugees,  but 
also  as  missionaries.  "  A  great  hope  and  inward  zeal 
they  had  of  laying  some  good  foundation  (or,  at  least,  to 
make  some  way  thereunto)  for  propagating  and  advanc- 
ing the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  in  those  remote 
parts  of  the  world."  They  came  not  for  gold;  but  for 
conscience'  sake  and  soul's  sake.  The  early  settlers  of 
New  England  were  sufficiently  homogeneovis  to  enable 
them  to  labor  harmoniously  and  successfully  to  make 
religion,  learning,  liberty  and  law,  the  four  corner-stones 
of  their  civilization.  New  England  ideas  gave  form  to 
the  national  government,  and  shaped  the  institutions  of 
the  Middle  States;  but  does  any  one  suppose  they  are 
dominant  to-day  in  the  great  territories  of  the  West?  Is 
there  no  danger  that  an  alien  and  materialistic  civiliza- 
tion will  spring  up  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  beyond? 


200  THE    INFLUENCE    OF    EARLY    SF:rrLEHS. 

The  population  of  the  frontier  is  thoroughly  hetero- 
geneous. In  a  town  in  Montana  of  about  7,000  inhabit- 
ants, a  religious  census  discovered,  in  addition  to  the 
usual  Protestant  sects,  ev^angelical  and  otherwise,  3,000 
Catholics,  several  members  of  the  Greek  Church,  three 
Mohammedans  and  300  Buddhists.  In  a  single  congre- 
gation there  were  representatives  of  fifteen  states  of  the 
Union,  scattered  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pa(.-ific,  and 
the  following  nationalities:  German,  French,  Italian, 
English,  Scotch,  Irisli,  Welsh,  Norwegian,  Swedish, 
Greek  and  Russian,  besides  a  native  of  Alaska.  The 
West  is  being  settled  by  Avell-nigh  every  variety  of  race, 
representing  every  type  of  religion  and  irreligion— peo- 
ples different  in  antecedents,  language,  customs,  habits, 
ideas  and  character.  The  one  thing  in  which  a  frontier 
poi>ulation  agrees  is  the  universal  and  unbending  pur- 
pose to  make  money. 

We  have  already  seen  that  the  West  is  peculiarly 
exposed  to  the  dangers  of  Mammonism,  materialism, 
luxuriousness  and  the  centralization  of  wealth;  that 
conditions  are  exceptionally  favorable  to  the  spread  of 
socialism ;  that  the  relative  power  of  the  saloon  is  two 
and  a  half  times  greater  in  the  far  West  than  in  tlie 
East;  that  Mormonism  is  still  vigorous;  that  Romanism 
as  compared  with  the  population,  is  about  three  times 
as  strong  in  the  territories  as  in  the  whole  United 
States;  and  that  into  the  West  is  pouring  a  Inrgc  per- 
centage of  our  foreign  immigration.  These  forces  of 
evil,  which  are  severely  trying  the  established  institu- 
tions of  the  East,  are  brought  to  bear  with  increased 
power  upon  the  plastic  and  forniative  society  of  the 
West.  It  is  like  subjecting  a  child  to  evil  influences, 
for  resistance  to  which  the  full  strength  of  mature 
years  is  none  too  great. 

We  have  seen  (Chap.  IV.)  that  nearly  all  of  the  per- 
ils which  have  been  diseussed  are  greatly  enhanced 
by  the  presence  of  the  foreii^n  element.  It  is  of  the 
utmost  significance  that  this  element  constitutes  bo 
large  a  proportion  of  the  settlors  who  are  now  shaping 


THE    INFLUPmCE    OF    EAllLY    SKTTLERS. 


201 


the  future  of  the   great  commonwealths  of  the  West. 
Those  of  foreign  birth    or  extraction  ^   were,   in    1880, 
38.2  per  cent,  of  the  population  of  Washington  Terri- 
tory.    Of  Montana,  they    constituted  48.8  per  cent,  of 
the  population;  of  Wyoming,    50.5  per  cent.;  of  Utah, 
51.9  per  cent.;    of   Idaho,    53.2  per  cent.;    of   Arizoila, 
55.2  per  cent.;  of  Dakota,  66.5  per  cent.;  of  the  State 
of    Nebraska,   43.5   per  cent.;    of    CaUfornia    59.9    per 
cent. ;  of  Nevada,    63.3  per    cent. ;    and   of  Minnesota, 
71.6  per  cent.     Not  including   Alaska,  New  Mexico,  or 
the  Indian   Territory,   53.9  per  cent,  of  the  population 
of  the  territories  was,    in  1880,  of   foreign  birth  or  ex- 
traction.    The  population  of    New    Mexico,  though  al- 
most wholly  native,   is  essentially  foreign— foreign  in 
race,  language,  education  (or  rather  the  lack  of  it),  in 
religious  ideas,  habits  and  character.     It  is  much  more 
difficult  to  assimilate  than  any  of  the  European  races. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  population  of  the   Indian  Ter- 
ritory.     Counting  these  peoples,   then,  as  foreign,   66 
per  cent,  of  the  population  of  the  territories  is  of  for- 
eign birth  or   extraction;  and  these  teri'itories  include 
nearly  44  per  cent,  of  all  the  land  between  the  Missis- 
sippi and   Alaska.    If  we  add  California,  Colorado,  Min- 
nesota,  Nebraska,    Nevada  and    Oregon,   these    states, 
together  with    the    territories,   constitute   nearly   two- 
thirds  of  all  the  West,  and   58.9   per  cent,  of  their  in- 
habitants are  of  foreign  extraction  or  birth. 

We  have  seen  that  dangerous  influences  are  being 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  new  settlements  of  the  West 
with  peculiar  power.  Are  the  neutralizing  and  saving 
influences  of  the  Christian  religion  equally  strong  ? 
According  to  Dr.  Dorchester,  the  evangelical  church 
membership  of  the  United  States  in  1880,  was  one- 
fifth  of  the  entire  population;  but  in  Oregon,  the  same 
year,  only  one  in  eleven  of  the  population  was  in  some 
evangelical    church;    in    Dakota,    one    in    twelve;    in 


1  By  foreign  extraction  is  meant   natives,  one  or  both  of  whose  parents 
vore  foreign-born.     See    Compendium  of  Tenth  Census,  Part  II,  pp.  1408 

ml  1109. 


202  THE    INl'LLKXCK   OF    EARLY    SETTLERS. 

Washington,  one  in  sixteen;  in  California  and  Colora 
do,  one  in  twenty;  in  Idaho,  one  in  thirty-three;  in 
Montana,  one  in  thirty-six;  in  Nevada,  one  in  forty- 
six;  in  Wyoming,  one  in  eighty-one ;  in  Utah,  one  in 
224;  in  New  Mexico,  one  in  657;  in  Arizona,  one  in 
C85. 

If,  as  Milton  says,  "Childhood  shows  the  man  as 
morning  shows  the  day,"  what  will  be  the  manhood  of 
the  West,  unless  the  churches  of  the  East  are  spt'cdily 
aroused  to  some  appreciation  of  their  opportunity  and 
their  obligation? 

Important  changes  are  taking  place  in  the  East  and 
South,  but  they  do  not  possess  the  almost  boundless 
significance  which  attaches  to  beginnings.  East  of 
the  Mississippi,  state  constitutions  anil  laws  were 
formed  long  since;  society  is  no  longer  chaotic,  it  has 
frystallized;  religion  has  its  recognized  institutions 
\vhich  are  thoroughly  established.  A  vast  work  remains 
to  be  done,  both  in  the  North  and  South— a  work  which 
sustains  important  relations  to  our  national  welfare;  but 
it  is  the  West,  not  the  South  or  the  North,  which  holds 
the  key  to  the  nation's  future.  The  cent(>r  of  population, 
of  manufactures,  of  wealth,  and  of  political  power  is  not 
mov;ng  south  but  west.  The  Southern  States  will  never 
have  a  majority  of  our  population;  the  West  will.  To- 
day, the  constitutions  and  laws  of  many  of  the  futm-e 
states  of  our  western  enii»ire  are  unformed.^  Those 
gi'eat  territories,  as  Edmund  Burke  once  said  of  the 
nation,  are  yet  "in  the  gristle;''  society  is  still 
chaotic;  religious,  educational  and  political  institutions 
are  embryonic;  but  their  character  is  being  rajWdly 
fashioned  by  the  swift,  impetuous  forces  of  intense 
western  life.     "  Know  thy  opportunity.' 

•  Since  this  sentence  was  written,  five  years  hko,  six  of  the  western  terri- 
tories liave  ailo[ited  constitutions  and  Ih-imi  admitted  a.s  states. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  EXHAUSTION   OF  THE    PUBLIC   LAND3. 

Thomas  Carlyle  once  said  to  an  American:  "  Ye  may 
boast  o'  yer  dimocracy,  or  any  ither  'cracy,  or  any  kind 
o'  poleetical  roobish;    but  the  reason  why  yer  labonng 
folk  are  so  happy  is  thot  ye  have  a  vost  deal  o'  land  for 
a  verra  few  peopU:'     Carlyle  was  not  the  man  to  take  an 
unprejudiced  view  of  republican  institutions;  but  he  was 
not  mistaken  in  finding  great  significance  in  the  fact 
that  heretofore  our  land  has  been  vastly  greater  than  its 
population.     The  rapid  accumulation  of  our  wealth,  our 
comparative  iriimunity  from  the  consequences  of    un- 
scientific legislation,  our   financial  elasticity,    our  high 
wages,  the  general  welfare  and  contentment  of  the  peo- 
pleliitherto  have  all  been  due,  in  very  large  measure,  to 
an  abundance  of  cheap  land.      When  the  supply  is  ex- 
hausted, we  shall  enter  upon  a  new  era,  and  shall  more 
rapidly  appi'oximate  European  conditions  of  life.      The 
gravity  of  the  change  was  clearly  foreseen  by  Lord  Mac- 
aulay,  and  expressed  in  his  well-known  letter  to  Hon.  H. 
S.  Randall,  in  1857— a  letter  which  General  Garfield  said 
startled  him  "  like  an  alarm  bell  in  the  night."     "  Your 
fate,"  says  Macaulay,  "  I  believe  to  be  certain,  though  it 
is  deferred  by  a  physical  cause.     As  long  as  you  have  a 
boundless  extent  of  fertile  and  unoccupied  land,  your 
laboring  population  will  be  far  more  at  ease  than  the  la- 
boring population  of  the  Old  World.  .  .  .  But  the  time 
will  come  when  New  England  will  be  as  thickly  peopled 
as  Old  England.     Wages  will  be  as  low,  and  will  fluctu- 
ate as  much  with  you  as  with  us.      You  will  have  your 
Manchesters  and  Birminghams.     And  in  those  Manches- 
ters  and  Birminghams,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  artisans 


20-i         THE    EXUALSTIOX    OF   TIIK    I'LHLIC    LAX'JJS. 

will  assuredly  b<'  some  time  out  of  work.  Then  j'our  in- 
stitutions will  be  faii-ly  brought  to  the  test.  .  .  .  Through 
such  seasons  the  United  States  will  have  to  pass  in  the 
course  of  the  next  century,  if  not  of  this.  I  wish  you  a 
good  deliverance.  But  my  reason  and  my  wishes  are  at 
war,  ami  I  cannot  help  foreboding  the  worst." 

What  is  the  extent  of  these  public  lands  whose  occu- 
pation means  so  much?  The  public  domain  west  of  the 
Mississipi>i,  not  including  Alaska,  is  estimated  to  have 
been,  in  1880,  880,787,740  acres.^  This  includes  land  ne- 
cessary to  fill  railroad  grants,  estimated  at  110,000,000 
acres,  also  private  land-claims  estimated  at  80.000,000 
acres,  together  with  military  and  Indian  reservations  es- 
timated at  157,350,952  acres.  Supposing  all  of  the  mili- 
tary and  Indian  reservations  to  revert  to  the  public 
domain  save  57,000.000  acres,  there  remained  of  the  pub- 
lic lands  west  of  the  Mississippi,  in  1880,  yet  to  be  dis- 
posed of,  about  033,787,740  acres.  This  seems  an  almost 
inexhaustible  sujiply,  but  we  must  remember  the  magni- 
tude of  the  demand.  The  following  table  shows  how- 
much  land  the  Government  has  disposed  of  each  year 
since  1880. 

ACRES. 

In  1881 10.893,397 

,.  ,j^2  1-J,309,166 

..  ^f^g 19..130,032 

27,531,170 


1884. 


1,095,515 


"  1885 

.'  1886  22.m568 

..  ^f^  35,858,038 

..  jg^ 30.110,684 

Here  is  a  total  in  eight  years,  of  171,258.505  acres,  a 
million  more  than  are  contained  in  the  state  of  Texas,  or 
more  than  twice  the  area  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
leaving  in  the  hands  of  the  government  in  1889,  about 
402.529.181  acres.  If  the  rate  since  1880  should  be  sus- 
tained, all  of  the  public  lands  west  of  the  Mississippi 
would  be  exhausted  in  twenty  years.      It  must  not  be 

1  Spaulding  on  Public  Lands,  pp.  6,  7. 


THE    EXHAUSTION    OF   THE    PUBLIC    LANDS.  2U5 

forgotten  that  these  figures  include  the  great  mountain 
ranges,  and  all  the  harren  lands.  Only  a  comparatively 
small  portion  is  arable.  The  farming  lands  of  the  West 
therefore,  will  cill  be  taken  before  the  close  of  this  cen- 
tury. And  under  private  ownership  they  will  naturally 
appreciate  in  value  with  the  increase  of  population. 
Senator  Wade,,  of  Ohio,  predicted,  in  the  United  States 
Senate,  some  twenty -five  years  ago,  that,  by  1900,  every 
acre  of  good  agricultural  land  in  the  Union  would  be 
worth  at  least  fifty  dollars.  This  is  very  much  of  an 
over-estimate,  but  it  is  nevertheless  certain  that  our 
wide  domain  will  soon  cease  to  palliate  popular  discon- 
tent, because  it  will  s Jon  be  boyou  1  the  reach  of  the  poor. 
But  the  settlement  of  the  public  lands  has  a  further 
and  even  deeper  signiliiance.  The  first  permanent 
settlers,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  preceding  chapter,  im- 
press their  character  on  the  community  and  common- 
wealth for  generations  and  centuries;  and  this  abiding 
stamp  is  to  be  given  to  the  great  West  in  the  course  of 
the  next  fifteen  or  twenty  years.  True,  the  land  is  not 
settled  as  rapidly  as  it  is  dispossd  of  by  the  govern- 
ment. Many  acres  have  passed  into  the  hands  of 
wealthy  syndicates  or  individual  capitalists,  and  are 
held  by  them  for  a  rise  in  value;  but  this  can  delay 
actual  settlement  for  a  short  time  only,  and  does  not 
modify  the  general  statement  that  the  great  West  is  to 
be  settled  by  this  generation.  Robert  Gifl'en,  President 
of  the  London  Statistical  Society,  in  an  address  on 
"World  Crowding,"  1  after  following  several  lines  of 
reasoning  to  the  same  conclusion,  says:  "Whatever 
way  we  may  look  at  the  matter,  then,  it  seems  certain 
that,  in  twenty-five  years'  time,  and  probably  before 
that  date,  the  limitation  of  area  in  the  United  States 
will  be  felt.  There  will  be  no  longer  vast  tracts  of 
virgin  land  for  the  settler.  The  whole  available  area 
will  be  peopled  agriculturally,  as  the  Eastern  States 
are  now  peopled."    Suppose  the  entire  region  west  of 

1  Topics  of  the  Times,  1883.    Vol.  I.,  No.  1  p.  36. 


X'Ufj  TllK    KXllAl  .'ST1U,N    Ol'    TlIK    I'L  HI.IC    LAN1>S. 

the  Missibsippi— nut  excepting  bald  uiuuntaius  and  alka- 
line deserts— were  divided  into  townships  six  miles 
square.  From  1870  to  1«8U  the  trans-Mississippi  popula- 
tion increased  a  little  more  than  sixty-one  per  cent.' 
The  Census  ot  1890  shows  in  this  region  a  population  of 
10,419,459— an  increase  in  ten  years  of  45.8  per  cent. 
Even  if  the  ratio  of  increase  during  the  ji(?xt  ten  years 
should  fall  to  thirty-three  per  cent.,  which  is  unlikely, 
there  would  be  in  1900  a  population  of  nearly  22.000,000 
— sutticient,  if  it  were  evenly  distributed,  to  place  384 
souls  in  every  township  west  of  the  great  river.  TIk? 
natural  distribution  of  such  a  population  would  mani- 
festly result  in  the  settlement  of  about  all  the  habital.le 
regions.  Consider  the  location  of  the  unoccupied  hind. 
It  is  not  a  vast  island,  like  Australia,  separated  by 
thousan^ls  of  miles  from  its  sources  of  population.  It 
lies  close  to  one  of  the  greatest  peoples  on  the  earth ;  and 
not  on  our  north  or  south,  but  on  our  tcest,  which  is 
important,  because  great  migrations  move  along  lines  of 
latitiule.  Moreover,  this  great  territory  is  gridironed 
with  transcontinental  railways.  Every  circumstance 
favors  its  i-api<l  occupation. 

We  must  note,  also,  the  order  of  settlement.  In  the 
Middle  States  the  farms  were  first  taken,  then  the  town 
sjjrung  up  to  su])ply  their  wants,  and  at  length  the 
railway  connected  it  with  the  world;  but  in  the  West 
the  order  is  reversed — first  the  railroad,  then  the  town, 
then  the  farms.  Settlement  is.  consecpiently,  nnich 
more  rapid,  and  the  city  stamps  the  country,  instead  of 
the  country's  stamping  the  city.  It  is  the  cities  and 
towns  whicli  will  frame  state  constitutions,  make  laws, 
create  pul)lic  opinion,  establish  social  usiiges,  and  fix 
standards  of  morals  in  the  West.  The  character  of  the 
West  will,  therefore,  be  substantially  determined  some 
time  before  the  land  is  all  occupied. 


'  Purinjr  the  fiame  perifxl  tho  nvernfre  per  cent,  of  increase  of  population 
In  all  tlie  stul<'s  of  the  Union  was  'Jit  -in  the  territories,  7T.  Idaho  increa.sed 
117  per  cent.,  Wyoming,  187,  Wu.shington,  81-3,  Arizona,  318,  Dakota,  853. 


THE    EXIIAUSTIOX    OF   THE    PUBLIC    LANDS.        207 

In  181SU,  fifty-three  per  cent,  of  our  national  domain 
(not  including  Alaska)  contained  only  six  per  cent,  of 
our  population.  That  is,  one-half  of  our  territory  was, 
for  the  most  part,  uninhabited.  The  character  of  this 
vast  i-egion,  equal  in  area  to  Great  Britain,  France, 
Spain,  Italy,  Austi'ia,  Germany,  Norway  and  Sweden, 
together  with  a  dozen  of  the  smaller  European  states, 
is  being  determined  during  the  last  twenty  years  of  the 
century.  Suppose  all  of  Western  Europe  were  prac- 
tically uninhabited,  that  to-day  the  pioneer  were  pitch- 
ing his  tent  by  the  Thames  and  Seine,  and  building 
his  log  cabin  on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber.  He  takes  Avith 
him  not  the  rude  implements  of  centuries  ago,  but  the 
locom'otive,  the  telegraph,  the  steam-press,  and  all  the 
swift  appliances  of  modern  civilization.  Suppose  the 
countries  named  above  were  all  to  be  settled  in  twenty 
years;  that,  instead  of  the  slow  evolutions  of  many 
centuries,  their  political,  social,  religious,  and  educa- 
tional institutions  were  to  be  determmed  by  one  gen- 
eration ;  that  from  this  one  generation  were  to  spring  a 
civilization,  like  Minerva  from-  the  head  of  Jupiter, 
full-grown  and  fully  equipped.  What  a  period  in  the 
world's  history  it  would  be,  unparalleled  and  tremen- 
dous! Yet  such  a  Europe  is  being  created  by  this 
generation  west  of  the  Mississippi.  And  within  the 
bosom  of  these  few  years  is  folded  not  only  the  future 
of  the  naighty  West,  but  the  nation's  destiny:  for,  as 
we  have  seen,  the  West  is  to  dominate  the  East. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  ANGLO-SAXON  AND  THE  WORLDS  FUTURE.' 

Every  race  which  has  deeply  impressed  itself  on  the 
human  family  has  been  the  representative  of  some  great 
idea— one  or  more— which  has  given  direction  to  the  na- 
tion's life  and  form  to  its  civilisation.  Among  the 
Egyptians  this  seminal  idea  was  life,  among  the 
Persians  it  was  light,  among  the  Hebrews  it  was 
purity,  among  the  Greeks  it  was  beauty,  among  the 
Romans  it  was  law.  The  Anglo-Saxon  is  the  repre- 
sentative of  two  great  ideas,  which  are  closely  related. 
One  of  them  is  that  of  civil  liberty.  Nearly  all  of  the 
civil  liberty  of  the  world  is  enjoyed  by  Anglo-Saxons: 
the  English,  the  British  colonists,  and  the  people  of  the 
United  States.  To  some,  like  the  Swiss,  it  is  permitted 
by  the  sufferance  of  their  neighbors;  others,  like  the 
French,  have  experimented  with  it;  but,  in  modern 
times,  the  peoples  whose  love  of  liberty  has  won  it,  and 
whose  genius  for  self-government  has  preserved  it,  have 
been  Anglo-Saxons.  The  noblest  races  have  alwaj'S 
been  lovers  of  liberty.  The  love  ran  strong  in  early 
German  blood,  and  has  profoundly  influenced  the  insti- 
tutions of  all  the  branches  of  the  great  Gerjnan  family; 
but  it  was  left  for  the  Anglo-Saxon  branch  fully  to  rec- 
ognize the  right  of  the  individual  to  himself,  nnd  form- 
ally to  declare  it  the  foimdation  stone  of  government. 

The  other  great  idea  of  which  the  Anglo-Saxon  is  tlie 
exponent  is  that  of  a  pure  spiritual  Christianity.     It 

'  It  is  only  just  to  say  that  the  substance  of  this  chapter  was  given  to  the 
pubHc  as  a  lecture  some  three  years  before  tlie  appearance  of  Prof.  Fiske's 
Manifest  Destiny,  in  Harper's  Magazine,  for  March,  1885,  which  contains 
some  of  the  same  ideas. 


THE    ANGLO-SAXOX    AND   THE    WORLD'S   FUTURE.    209 

was  no  accident  that  the  great  reformation  of  i'^e  six- 
teenth century  originated  among  a  Teutonic,  rather  than 
a  Latin  people.  It  was  the  fire  of  Hberty  burning  in  the 
Saxon  heai't  that  flamed  up  against  the  absolutism  of  the 
Pope.  Speaking  roughly,  the  peoples  of  Europe  which 
are  Celtic  are  Roman  Catholic,  and  those  which  are  Teu- 
tonic are  Protestant ;  and  where  the  Teutonic  race  was 
purest,  there  Protestantism  spread  with  the  greatest  rapid- 
ity. But,  with  beautiful  exceptions,  Protestantism  on  the 
continent  has  degenerated  into  mere  formalism.  By  con- 
firmation at  a  certain  age,  the  state  churches  are  filled 
with  members  Avho  generally  know  nothing  of  a  personal 
spiritual  experience.  In  obedience  to  a  military  order, 
a  regiment  of  German  soldiers  files  into  church  and  par- 
takes of  the  sacrament,  just  as  it  would  shoulder  arms 
or  obey  any  other  word  of  command.  It  is  said  that,  in 
Berlin  and  Leipsic,  only  a  little  over  one  per  cent,  of  the 
Protestant  population  are  found  in  church.  Protestant- 
ism on  the  continent  seems  to  be  about  as  poor  in  spirit- 
ual life  and  power  as  Romanism.  That  means  that  most 
of  the  spiritual  Christianity  in  the  world  is  found  among 
Anglo-Saxons  and  their  converts ;  for  this  is  the  great 
missionary  race.  If  we  take  all  of  the  German  mission- 
ary societies  together,  we  find  that,  in  the  number  of 
workers  and  amount  of  contributions,  they  do  not 
equal  the  smallest  of  the  three  great  English  missionary 
societies.  The  year  that  the  Congregationalists  in  the 
United  States  gave  one  dollar  and  thirty-seven  cents  per 
caput  to  foreign  missions,  the  members  of  the  great  Ger- 
man State  Church  gave  only  three-quarters  of  a  cent  per 
caput  to  the  same  cause,  i  Evidently  it  is  chiefly  to  the 
English  and  American  peoples  that  we  must  look  for  the 
evangelization  of  the  world. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  argue  to  those  for  whom  I  write 
that  the  two  great  needs  of  mankind,  that  all  men  may 
be  lifted  up  into  the  light  of  the  highest  Christian  civiliza- 
tion, are,  first,  a  pure,  spiritual  Christianity,  and  second, 

•  Christlieb's  Protestant  Forei^  Missions,  pp.  34  and  37. 


:ilO    TlIK    AXGLO-SAXOX    AND   TIIK    WORLDS    FUTlUi:. 

civil  liberty.  Without  controversy,  these  ai'e  the  forces 
whicli,  in  the  past,  have  contributed  most  to  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  human  race,  and  they  nmst  continue  to  be,  in 
the  future,  the  most  efficient  ministers  to  its  progress. 
It  follows,  then,  that  the  Anglo-Saxon,  as  the  great 
representative  of  these  two  ideas,  the  depositary  of  these 
two  greatest  blessings,  sustains  peculiar  relations  to  the 
world's  future,  is  divinely  commissioned  to  be,  in  a  pecul- 
iar sense,  his  brother's  keeper.  Add  to  this  the  fact  of  his 
rapidly  increasing  strength  in  modern  times,  and  we 
have  well-nigh  a  demonstration  of  his  destiny.  In  1700 
this  race  numbered  less  than  6,000,000  souls.  In  1800, 
Anglo-Saxons  (I  use  the  term  somewhat  broadly  to  in- 
clude all  English-speaking  peoples)  had  increased  to 
about  20,500,000,  and  now,  in  1890,  they  number  more  than 
120,000,000,  having  multiplied  almost  six-fold  in  ninetj^ 
years.  At  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  the  En- 
glish colonists  in  America  numbered  200,000.  During 
these  two  hundred  years,  our  population  has  increased 
two  hundred  and  fifty-fold.  And  the  expansion  of  this 
race  has  been  no  less  remarkable  than  its  multiplication. 
In  one  century  the  United  States?  has  increased  its  ter- 
ritory ten-fold,  while  the  enormous  acquisition  of  foreign 
territory  by  Great  Britain— and  chiefly  witliin  the  last 
hundred  years— is  wholly  unparalleled  in  history.  This 
mighty  Anglo-Saxon  race,  though  comprising  only  one- 
thirt(?enth  part  of  mankind,  now  rules  more  than  one- 
third  of  the  earth's  surface,  and  more  than  one-f(5urth  of 
its  people.  And  if  this  race,  while  growing  from  6,000.- 
000  to  120,000,000,  thus  gained  possession  of  a  third  por- 
tion of  the  earth,  is  it  to  be  supposed  tliat  when  it 
numbers  1,000,000,000,  it  will  lose  the  disposition,  oi-  lack 
the  power  to  extend  its  sway? 

This  race  is  multiplying  not  only  more  rajiidly  lluui 
any  other  European  race,  but  more  rapidly  than  all  the 
races  of  continental  Europe  taken  together.  There  is  no 
exact  knowledge  of  the  population  of  Europe  early  in 
the  century.  We  know,  however,  that  the  increase  on 
the  continent  during  the  ten  years  from  1870  to  1880  was 


THE   ANGLO-SAXON    AND   THE    WOULlV.S    laTURE.    ^J  I 

6.89  per  cent.  If  this  rate  o£  increase  is  sustained  for  a 
century,  the  population  on  the  continent  in  1980  will  be 
534,000,000;  while  the  one  Anglo-Saxon  race,  if  it  should 
multiply  for  a  hundred  years  as  fast  as  from  1870  to 
1880,  would  in  1980  number  1,111,000,000  souls,  an  incred- 
ible increase,  of  course. 

What  then  will  be  the  probable  numbers  of  this  race  a 
hundred  years  hence?    It    is    hazardous    to  venture   a 
prophecy,  but  we  may  weigh  probabilities.     In  studymg 
this  subject  several  things  must  be  borne  in  mind.    Here- 
tofore, the  great  causes  which  have  operated  to  check 
the  growth  of  population  in  the  world  have  been  war, 
famine,  and   pestilence;  but,  among    civilized    peoples, 
these  causes  are  becoming  constantly  less    operative, 
Paradoxical  as  it  seems,  the  invention  of  more  destruc- 
tive weapons  of  war  renders  war  less  destructive;   com- 
merce and  wealth  have  removed  the  fear  of  famine,  and 
pestilence  is  being  brought  naore  and  more  under  control 
by  medical  skill  and  sanitary  science.     Moreover,  Anglo- 
Saxons,  with  the  exception  of  the  people  of  Great  Brit- 
ain, who  now  compose  less  than  one-third  of  this  race, 
are  much  less  exposed  to  these  checks  upon  growth  than 
the  races  of  Europe.     Again,  Europe  is  crowded,  and  is 
constantly  becoming  more  so,  which  will  tend  to  reduce 
continually  the  ratio  of  increase;  while  over  two-thirds 
of  the  Anglo-Saxons  occupy  lands  which  invite  almost 
unlimited  expansion— the  United   States,  Canada,  Aus- 
tralia, and  South  Africa.     Again,  emigration  from  Eur- 
ope, which  will  probably  increase,  is  very  largely  into 
Anglo-Saxon  countries;  and,  though  these  foreign    ele- 
ments exert  a  modifying  influence  on  the  Anglo-Saxon 
stock,  their  descendants  are  certain  to  be  Anglo-Saxon- 
ized.     From  1870  to   1880,  Germany  lost  987,000  inhabi- 
tants   by  emigration,    most    of  whom    came    to    the 
United  States.     In  one  generation,  their  children  will  be 
counted  Anglo-Saxons.     This  race  has  been  undergoing 
an  unparalleled  expansion  during  the  eighteenth  and 
ninete(?nth  centuries,  and  the  conditions  for  its  continued 
growth  are  singularly  favorable. 


2\2    THK    AN(iLO-SAXOX    AND   Til  K    WOKLI)  S    FITL' UK. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  ask  what  light  statistics  cast 
on  the  future.  In  Great  Britain,  from  1840  to  1850,  the 
ratio  of  increase  of  the  population  was  2.49  per  cent ; 
during  the  next  ten  years  it  was  5.44  per  cent. ;  the  next 
ten  years,  it  was  8.60;  from  187U  to  1880,  it  was  10.57; 
and  from  1880  to  1889  it  was  10.08  per  cent.  That  is,  for 
fifty  years  the  ratio  of  increase  has  been  rapidly  rising. 

It  is  not  unlikely  to  continue  rising  for  some  time  to 
come ;  but,  remembering  that  the  population  is  dense,  in 
making  our  estimate  for  the  next  hundred  years,  we  will 
suppose  the  ratio  of  increase  to  be  only  one-half  as  large 
as  that  from  1870  to  1880,  wdiich  would  make  the  popula- 
tion in  1980,  57,000,000.  All  the  great  colonies  of  Britain, 
except  Canada,  which  has  a  great  future,  show  a  very 
high  ratio  of  increase  in  population ;  that  of  Australia, 
from  1870  to  1880,  was  56.50  per  cent.;  that  of  South 
Africa  was  73.28.  It  is  quite  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
the  colonies,  taken  together,  will  double  their  population 
once  in  twenty-five  years  for  the  next  century.  In  the 
United  States,  population  has,  on  the  average,  doubled 
once  in  twenty-five  years  since  1685.  Adopting  this 
ratio,  then,  for  the  English  colonies,  their  11.000,000  in 
1880  will  be  176,000,000  in  1980,  and  about  234,000,000  in 
1990.  Turning  now  to  our  own  country,  Ave  find  in  the 
following  table  the  ratio  of  increase  of  population  for 
each  decade  of  years  since  1800 : 

From  1800  to    1810 36.38  per  cent. 

"  1810  "     1820 34.80  "  " 

"  1820  "     1830 33.11  "  " 

"  1830  "     1840 32.66  "  " 

"  1840  "      1850 35.87  "  " 

"  1850  "     1860 35.58  "  " 

"  1860  "     1870 22.59  "  " 

1870  "      1880 30.06  "  " 

"  1880  "      1890 24.57  "  " 

Here  we  see  a  falling  ratio  of  increase  of  about  one  per 
cent,  every  ten  years  from  1800  to  1840— a» period  when 
immigration    was     inconsiderable.     During     the    next 


THE    ANGLO-SAXON    AND    THE    WOULd's    FUTURE.    21o 

t 

twenty  years  the  ratio  was  decidedly  higher,  because  of 
a  large  immigration.  It  fell  off  during  the  war  and 
again  arose  from  1870  to  1880,  while  it  seems  to  have 
fallen  from  1880  to  1890. i 

If  the  rate  of  increase  for  the  next  century  is  as  great 
with  immigration  as  it  was  from  1800  to  1840  without 
immigration,  we  shall  have  a  falling  ratio  ot  mcrease  oi 
about  one  per  cent,  every  ten  years.     Beginnmg    then, 
with  an  increase  of  twenty-four  percent,  from  1890  to 
1900,  our  population  in  1990  would  be  373,00,0,000  makmg 
the  total  Anglo-Saxon  population  of  the  world,  at  that 
time    667  000  000,  as  compared  with  570,000,000   mhabi- 
tants  of  continental  Europe.     When  we  consider  how 
much  more  favorable  are  the  conditions  for  the  mcrease 
of  population  in   Anglo-Saxon    countries  than  ni  con- 
tinental Europe,  and  remember  that  we  have  reckoned 
the    growth    of    European    population    at    its    rate    ot 
increase  from  1870  to  1880,  while  we  have  reckoned  Anglo- 
Saxon  growth  at  much    less  than  its  rate  of  increase 
during  the  same    ten  years,   we    may  be    reasonably 
confident  that  a  hundred  years  hence  this  one  race  will 
outnumber  all  the  peoples  of  continental  Europe.     And 
it  is  possible  that,  by  the  close  of  the  next  century,  the 
Anglo-Saxons  will    outnumber  all  the  other  civihzed 
races  of  the  world.     Does  it  not  look  as  if  God  were  not 

1  It  should  be  remembererl,  however,  that  great  populations  do  not  show 
sudden  changes  in  the  rate  of  increase  without  such  causes  as  war,  anarchy, 
pestilence  ,  famine  or  great  migrations.  No  such  cause  has  been  operative 
,  with  us  during  the  past  ten  years,  except  a  great  immigration,  which  ^-oul^ 
of  course  raise  the  rate  of  increase.  It  is,  therefore,  hardly  credible  that  our 
ratio  of  increase  fell  five  and  a  half  per  cent,  during  that  period.  Still  lesB 
hkely  is  it  that,  conditions  remaining  substantially  the  same  from  18,0  to 
1890,  the  rate  of  increase  could  have  risen  so  rapidly  during  *«  Arst  jialf  of 
the  period,  and  then  have  fallen  so  rapidly  during  the  last  half.  The 
explanation  is  to  be  found  in  the  Census  of  1870.  which  General  Francs  A. 
Walker,  the  superintendent,  says  was  "  grossly  defective."  As  the  returns 
of  that  census  were  undoubtedly  too  small  there  was  no  such  rise  in  the  rate 
of  increase  from  1870  to  1880  and,  therefore,  no  such  fall  in  that  rate  from 
1880  to  1890  as  the  above  figures  indicate.  The  superintendent  of  the  late 
census  says  "  there  is  but  little  question  that  the  P°P"'f "°" '"  Jf  VZ'not 
l.-a.^t  40,000.000,"  which  would  make  the  rate  of  increase  from  18-0  to  1880  not 
far  from  2.")  per  cent,  or  about  the  same  as  from  1880  to  1890. 


Jil-i    THE    ANGLO-SAXON'    AXU   THE    WoJiLDS    FLTURK.   • 

only  preparing  in  our  Anglo-Saxon  civilization  the  die 
with  which  to  stamp  the  peoples  of  the  earth,  hut  as  if 
he  were  also  massing  behind  that  die  the  mighty  power 
with  which  to  press  it  ?  My  confidence  that  this  race  is 
eventuallj'  to  give  its  civilization  to  mankind  is  not  based 
on  itiere  numbers— China  forbid!  I  look  forward  to 
what  the  world  has  never  yet  seen  united  in  the  same 
race;  viz.,  the  greatest  numbers,  and  the  highest 
civilization. 

There  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that  North  America 
is  to  be  the  great  home  of  the  Anglo-Saxon,  the  principal 
seat  of  his  power,  the  center  of  his  life  and  influence. 
Not  only  does  it  constitute  seven-elevenths  of  his  pos- 
sessions, but  here  his  empire  is  unsevered,  while  the 
remaining  four-elevenths  are  fragmentary  and  scattered 
over  the  earth.  Australia  will  have  a  great  population ; 
but  its  disadvantages,  as  compared  Avith  North  America, 
are  too  manifest  to  need  mention.  Om*  continent  has 
room  and  resources  and  climate,  it  lies  in  the  pathway 
of  the  nations,  it  belongs  to  the  zone  of  power,  and 
alread}',  among  Anglo-Saxons,  do  we  lead  in  population 
and  wealth.  Of  England,  Franklin  once  wrote:  "That 
pretty  island  which,  compared  to  America,  is  but  a  step- 
ping-stone in  a  brook,  scarce  enough  of  it  above  water 
to  keep  one's  shoes  dry."  England  can  hardly  hope  to 
maintain  her  relative  importance  among  Anglo-Saxon 
peoples  when  her  "pretty  island"  is  the  home  of  only 
one-twentieth  part  of  that  race.  With  the  wider  distri- 
bution of  wealth,  and  increasing  facilities  of  intercourse, 
intelligence  and  influence  ai-e  less  centralized,  and 
peoples  become  more  homogeneous ;  and  the  more  nearly 
homogeneous   peoples  are,    the    more  do  7iuvibers  tell. 

America  is  to  have  the  great  preponderance  of 
numbers  and  of  wealth,  and  by  the  logic  of  events  will 
follow  the  scepter  of  controlling  influence.  This  will  be 
but  the  consummation  of  a  movement  as  old  as  civiliza- 
tion—a result  to  which  men  have  looked  forward  for 
centuries.  John  Adams  records  that  nothing  was 
"  more  ancient    in  his  memory   than  the  observation 


THE    ANGLO-SAXON"    AND   THE    WORLD'S   EUTURE.    ;315 

that  arts,  sciences  and  empire  had  traveled  westward; 
and  in  conversation  it  was  always  added  that  their  next 
leap  would  be  over  the  Atlantic  into  America."  He 
recalled  a  couplet  that  had  been  inscribed  or  rather 
drilled,  into  a  rock  on  the  shore  of  Monument  Bay  in 
our  old  colony  of  Plymouth : 

'  The  Eastern  nations  sink,  their  glory  ends, 
And  empire  rises  where  the  sun  descends.'  "i 

The  brilliant  Galiani,  who  foresaw  a  future  in  which 
Europe  should  be  ruled  by  America,  wrote,  during  the 
Revolutionary  War:  "  I  will  .wager  in  favor  of  America, 
for  the  reason  merely  physical,  that  for  5,000  years 
genius  has  turned  opposite  to  the  diurnal  motion,  and 
traveled  from  the  East  to  the  West."  ^  Count  d' Aranda, 
after  signing  the  Treaty  of  Paris  of  1773,  as  representa- 
tive of  Spain,  wrote  his  king:     "This  Federal  Republic 

is  born  a  pigmy a  day  will  come  when  it  will 

be  a  giant,  even  a  colossus  formidable  in  these  coun- 
tries." 

Adam  Smith,  in  his  "Wealth  of  Nations,"  predicts 
the  transfer  of  empire  from  Europe  to  America.  The 
traveler,  Burnaby,  found,  in  the  middle  of  the  last  cen- 
tury, that  an  idea  had  "entered  into  the  minds  of  the 
generality  of  mankind,  that  empire  is  traveling  west- 
ward ;  and  evei-y  one  is  looking  forward  with  eager 
and  impatient  expectation  to  that  destined  moment 
when  America  is  to  give  the  law  to  the  rest  of  the 
world."  Charles  Sumner  wrote  of  the  "coming  time 
when  the  whole  continent,  with  all  its  various  states, 
shall  be  a  Plural  Unit,  with  one  Constitution,  one  Lib- 
erty and  one  Destiny,"  and  when  "the  national  ex- 
ample will  be  more  puissant  than  army  or  navy  for  the 
conquest  of  the  world."  ^  It  surely  needs  no  prophet's 
eye  to  see  that  the  civilization  of  the  United  States  is 
to  be  the  civilization  of  America,  and  that  the  future 

»  John  Adams'  Works.  Vol.  ix,  pp.  597-599. 

«  Galiani,  Tome  II.  p.  275. 

3  See  The  Atluaiic,  Vol.  XX,  pp.  275—306. 


21G    THE    ANGLO-SAXOX    AND   TIIK    WORLD'S    FUTUllE. 

of  the  continent  is  ours.  In  1880,  the  United  States 
had  ah-eady  become  the  home  of  more  than  one-half  of 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race ;  and,  if  the  computations  already- 
given,  are  correct,  a  much  larger  proportion  will  be  here 
a  hundred  years  hence.  It  has  been  shown  that  we 
have  room  for  at  least  a  thousand  millions.  According 
to  the  latest  figures,  there  is  in  France  (188G),  a  popula- 
tion of  187  to  tlie  square  mile;  in  Germany  (1SS5),  221.8; 
in  England  and  Wales  (1889),  498;  in  Belgium  (1888), 
530;  in  the  United  States  (1890)— not  including  Alaska— 
21.  If  our  population  were  as  dense  as  that  of  France, 
we  should  have,  this  side  of  Alaska,  555,000,000;  if  as 
dense  as  that  of  Germany, 658, 000, 000;  if  as  dense  as  that 
of  England  and  Wales,  1,452,000,000;  if  as  dense  as  that 
of  Belgium  1,574,000,000,  or  more  than  the  present  esti- 
mated population  of  the  globe. 

And  we  are  to  have  not  only  the  larger  portion  of 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  but  we  may  reasonablj-  expect  to 
develop  the  highest  type  of  Anglo-Saxon  civilization. 
If  human  progress  follows  a  law  of  development,  if 

"Time's  noblest  offspring  is  the  last," 

our  civilization  should  be  the  noblest ;  for  we  are 

"  The  heirs  of  all  the  afces  in  the  foremost  files  of  time," 

and  not  only  do  we  occupy  the  latitude  of  power,  but 
our  hvid  is  the  last  to  be  occupied  i)i  tJtat  latitude. 
Tliere  is  no  other  virgin  soil  in  the  North  Temperate 
Zone.  If  the  consummation  of  human  i)rogress  is  not 
to  be  looked  for  here,  if  there  is  yet  to  flower  a  higher 
civilization,  where  is  the  soil  that  is  to  produce  it? 
Whii»ple  says:^  '"There  has  never  been  a  great  mi- 
gration that  did  not  residt  in  a  new  form  of  national 
genius."  Our  national  genius  is  Anglo-Saxon,  but  not 
English,  its  distinctive  type  is  the  result  of  a  finer 
nervous  organization,   which  is  certainly  being  devel- 

1  Alhnitir  r..r  <  )c|.,Ihm-,  1S.-.S. 


'HIE    AxNGLO-SAXON    AND   THE    WORLD's    FUTURE.    217 

oped  ill    this  country.      "The  history   of    the  world's 
progress  from  savagery  to  barbarism,  from  barbarism 
to  civihzation,  and,  in  civihzation,  from  the  lower  de 
grees  toward  the  higher,  is  the  history  of  increase  in 
average  longevity,^  corresponding  to,  and  accompanied 
by,  increase  of  nervousness.     Mankind  has  grown  to  be 
at  once  more  delicate  and  more  enduring,  more  sensitive 
to  weariness  and  yet  more  patient  of  toil,  impressible, 
but    capable  of    bearing    powerful    irritation;    we  are 
woven  of  finer  fiber,  which,  though  apparently  frail,  yet 
outlasts  the  coarser,  as  rich  and  costly  garments  often- 
times wear  better  than  those  of  rougher  workmanship."-^ 
The  roots  of    civilization  are  the    nerves;    and    other 
things  being  equal,  the  finest  nervous  organization  wnll 
produce  the  highest  civilization.     Heretofore,  war  has 
been  almost  the  chief  occupation  of  strong  races.     The 
mission  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  has  been  largely  that  of 
the  soldier;  but  the  world  is  making  progress,  we  are 
leaving  behind   the  barbarism  of  war;   as  civilization 
advances,  it  will  learn  less  of  war,  and  concern  itself 
more  witli.  the  arts  of  peace,  and  for  these  the  massive 
battle-ax   must  be  wrought  into  tools  of    finer  temper. 
The  physical  changes  accompanied  by  mental,   which 
are  taking  place  in  the  people  of  the  United  States  are 
apparently  to  adapt  men  to  the  demands  of  a  higher 
civilization.      But  the  objection  is  here  interposed  that 
the    "physical  degeneracy  of    America"  is    inconsist- 
ent with  the  supposition  of  our  advancing  to  a  higher 
civilization.      Professor   Huxley,    when    at    Buffalo    he 
addressed  the  American  Association  for  the  Advance- 
ment of  Science,  said  he  had  heard  of  the  degeneration 
of  the  original  American  stock,  but  during  his  visit  to 
the  states  he  had  failed  to  perceive  it.     We  are  not, 
however,  in  this  matter,  dependent  on  the  opinion  of 


his  coun- 


1  "It  is  ascertained  that  the  average  measure  of  human  life,  m  thi 
try  has  been  steadily  increasing  during  this  century,  and  is  now  considerably 
longer  than  in  any  other  country /'    Dorchester's    Problem  of  Religious 


Progress,  p.  288. 
2  Beard's  American  Nervousness,  p.  287 


218    THE    ANGLO-SAXOX    AxND    Til  K    WOliLU's    FUTURE. 

even  the  best  observers.  During  the  Wcir  of  the  Con- 
federacy, the  Medical  Department  of  the  Provost  Mar- 
shal General's  Bureau  gathered  statistics  fi-jom  the  ex- 
amination of  over  half  a  milHon  of  men,  native  and 
foreign,  young  and  old,  sick  and  sound,  drawn  from 
every  rank  and  condition  of  life,  and,  hence,  fairly  rep- 
resenting the  whole  people.  Dr.  Baxter's  Official  Re- 
port shows  that  our  native  whites  were  over  an  inch 
taller  than  the  English,  and  nearly  two-thirds  of  an 
inch  taller  than  the  Scotch,  who,  in  height,  were  supe- 
rior to  all  other  foreigners.  At  the  age  of  completed 
growth,  the  Irish,  who  were  the  stoutest  of  the  for- 
eigners, surpassed  the  native  whites,  in  girth  of  chest, 
less  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch.  Statistics  as  to  weight 
are  meager,  but  Dr.  Baxter  remarks  that  it  is  perhaps 
not  too  much  to  saj-  that  the  war  statistics  show  "  that 
the  mean  weight  of  the  white  native  of  the  United 
States  is  not  disproportionate  to  his  stature."  Ameri- 
cans were  found  to  be  superior  to  Englishmen  not  only 
in  height,  but  also  in  chest  measurement  and  weight. 
"Dealers  in  ready-made  clothing  in  the  United  States 
assert  that  they  have  been  obliged  to  adopt  a  larger 
scale  of  sizes,  in  width  as  well  as  length,  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  average  American  man,  than  were 
required  ten  years  ago."  ^  Such  facts  afford  more  than 
a  hint  that  the  higher  civilization  of  the  future  will  not 
lack  an  adequate  physical  basis  in  the  people  of  the 
United  States. 

Mr.  Darwin  is  not  only  disposed  to  see,  in  the  supe- 
rior vigor  of  our  people,  an  illustration  of  his  favorite 
theory  of  natural  selection,  but  even  intimates  that  the 
world's  history  thus  far  has  been  simply  preparatory  for 
our  future,  and  tributary  to  it.  He  says :  -  "  Theve  is 
apparently  much  truth  in  the  belief  that  the  wonderful 
progress  of  the  United  States,  as  well  as  the  character  of 
the  people,  are  the  results  of  natural  selection ;  for  the 


•  Recent  Economic  Changes,  by  David  A.  Wells  (1889). 
«  Descent  of  Mau,  Part  I.,  p.  142. 


THE   AN(iLO-SAXON   AXD   THE   WORLU's   FUTURE.    319 

more  energetic,  restless,  and  courageous  men  from  all 
parts  of  Europe  have  emigrated  during  the  last  ten  or 
twelve  generations  to  that  great  country,  and  have  there 
succeeded  best.  Looking  at  the  distant  future,  I  do  not 
think  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Zincke  takes  an  exaggerated 
view  when  he  says :  '  All  other  series  of  events — as  that 
which  resulted  in  the  culture  of  mind  in  Greece,  and 
that  which  resulted  in  the  Empire  of  Rome— only  appear 
to  have  purpose  and  value  when  viewed  in  connection 
with,  or  rather  as  subsidiary  to,  the  great  stream  of 
Anglo-Saxon  emigration  to  the  West.' " 

There  is  abundant  reason  to  believe  that  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race  is  to  be,  is,  indeed,  already  becoming,  more  effective 
here  than  in  the  mother  country.  The  marked  superior- 
ity of  this  race  is  due,  in  large  measure,  to  its  highly 
mixed  origin.  Says  Rawlinson :  ^  "  It  is  a  general  rule, 
now  almost  universally  admitted  by  ethnologists,  that 
the  mixed  races  of  mankind  are  superior  to  the  pure 
ones";  and  adds:  "Even  the  Joavs,  who  are  so  often 
cited  as  an  example  of  a  race  at  once  pure  and  strong, 
may,  with  more  reason,  be  adduced  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  argument."  The  ancient  Egyptians,  the  Greeks, 
and  the  Romans,  were  all  mixed  races.  Among  modern 
races,  the  most  conspicuous  example  is  afforded  by  the 
Anglo-Saxons.  Mr.  Green's  studies  show  that  Mr. 
Tennyson's  poetic  line, 

"  Saxon  and  Norman  and  Dane  are  we," 

must  be  supplemented  with  Celt  and  Gaul,  Welshman 
and  Irishman,  Frisian  and  Flamand,  French  Huguenot 
and  German  Palatine.  What  took  place  a  thousand 
years  ago  and  more  in  England  again  transpires  to-day 
in  the  United  States.  "  History  repeats  itself  ";  but,  as 
the  wheels  of  history  are  the  chariot  wheels  of  the  Al- 
mighty, there  is,  with  every  revolution,  an  onward 
movement  toward  the  goal    of    His    eternal    purposes. 

1  Princeton  Review,  for  November,  1878. 


220    THE    AXGLO-SAXOX    AXl)   TlIK    WOKLD's    FUTUUE. 

There  is  here  a  new  coniiiiingling  of  races;  and,  while 
the  largest  injections  of  i'oreign  blood  are  substantiall}' 
the  same  elements  that  constituted  the  original  Anglo- 
Saxon  admixture,  so  that  we  may  infer  the  general  type 
will  be  y)reserved,  there  are  strains  of  other  bloods  being 
added,  which,  if  Mr.  Elmerson's  remark  is  true,  that 
"the  best  nations  are  those  most  widely  related,"  may 
be  expected  to  improve  the  stock,  and  aid  it  to  a  higher 
destiny.  If  the  dangers  of  immigration,  which  have  been 
pointed  out,  can  be  successfully  met  for  the  next  few 
years,  until  it  has  passed  its  climax,  it  may  be  expected 
to  add  value  to  the  amalgam  which  will  constitute  the 
new  Anglo-Saxon  race  of  the  New  World.  Concerning 
our  future,  Herbert  Spencer  says :  "  One  great  result  is, 
I  think,  tolerably  clear.  From  biological  truths  it  is  to 
be  inferred  that  the  eventual  mixture  of  the  allied  varie- 
ties of  the  Aryan  race,  forming  the  population,  will 
produce  a  more  powei-ful  type  of  man  than  has  hitherto 
existed,  and  a  type  of  man  more  plastic,  more  adnptable, 
more  capable  of  undergoing  the  modifications  needful 
for  complete  social  life.  I  think,  whatever  difficulties 
they  may  have  to  surmount,  and  whatever  tribulations 
they  may  have  to  pass  through,  the  Americans  may 
reasonably  look  forward  to  a  time  wdien  they  will  have 
produced  a  civilization  grander  than  any  the  Avorld  has 
known." 

It  may  be  easily  shown,  and  is  of  no  small  significance, 
that  the  two  great  ideas  of  which  the  Anglo-Saxon  is  the 
exponent  are  having  a  fuller  development  in  the  United 
States  than  in  Great  Britain.  There  the  union  of  Church 
and  State  tends  strongly  to  paralyze  some  of  the  members 
of  the  body  of  Christ.  Here  there  is  no  such  influence 
to  destroy  spiritual  life  and  power.  Here,  also,  has  been 
evolved  the  form  of  government  consistent  with  the 
largest  possible  civil  liberty.  Furthermore,  it  is  signifi- 
cant that  tlie  marked  characteristics  of  this  race  are  be- 
ing here  emphasized  most.  Among  the  most  striking 
features  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  is  his  money-making  power 
— a  power  of  incn^asing  imi)ortance  in  the  Avidening  com- 


THE    AXdLO-SAXON    AND    TIIK    WUULD's    FUTURE.    221 

luercc  of  the  world  s  future.  We  have  seen,  in  a  pre- 
ceding chapter,  that,  although  England  is  by  far  the 
richest  nation  of  Europe,  we  have  already  outstripped 
her  in  the  race  after  wealth,  and  we  have  only  begun 
the  development  of  our  vast  resources. 

Again,  another  marked  characteristic  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  is  what  may  be  called  an  instinct  or  genius  for 
colonizing.  His  unequaled  energy,  his  indomitable  per- 
severance, and  his  personal  independence,  made  him  a 
pioneer.  He  excels  all  others  in  pushing  his  way  into 
new  countries.  It  was  those  in  whom  this  tendency 
was  strongest  that  came  to  America,  and  this  inherited 
tendency  has  been  further  developed  by  the  westward 
sweep  of  successive  generations  across  the  continent. 
So  noticeable  has  this  characteristic  become  that 
English  visitors  remark  it.  Charles  Dickens  once  said 
that  the  typical  American  would  hesitate  to  enter  heaven 
unless  assured  that  he  could  go  farther  west. 

Again,  nothing  more  manifestly  distinguishes  the  An- 
glo-Saxon than  his  intense  and  persistent  energy,  and  he 
is  developing  in  the  United  States  an  energy  which,  in 
eager  activity  and  effectiveness,  is  peculiarly  American. 
This  is  due  partly  to  the  fact  that  Americans  are  much 
better  fed  than  Europeans,  and  partly  to  the  undevel- 
oped resources  of  a  new  country,  but  more  largely  to 
our  climate,  which  acts  as  a  constant  stimulus.  Ten 
years  after  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims,  the  Rev.  Francis 
Higginson,  a  good  observer,  wrote:  "A  sup  of  New 
England  air  is  better  than  a  whole  flagon  of  English  ale." 
Thus  early  had  the  stimulating  effect  of  our  climate 
been  noted.  Moreover,  our  social  institutions  are  stimu- 
lating. In  Europe  the  various  ranks  of  society  are,  like 
the  strata  of  the  earth,  fixed  and  fossilized.  There  can 
be  no  great  change  without  a  terrible  upheaval,  a  social 
earthquake.  Here  society  is  like  the  waters  of  the  sea, 
mobile ;  as  General  Garfield  said,  and  so  signally  illus- 
trated in  his  own  experience,  that  which  is  at  the  bot- 
tom to-day  may  one  day  flash  on  the  crest  of  the  highest 
wave.     Every  one  is  free  to  become  whatever  he  can 


222    THE    AN(iLO-SAXONr    AUD   Till:    \V()lil>I)'s    FUTUKl':. 

make  of  himself ;  free  to  transform  himself  from  a  rail- 
splitter  or  a  tanner  or  a  canal-boy,  into  the  nation's 
President.  Our  aristocracy,  unlike  that  of  Europe,  is 
open  to  all  comers.  Wealth,  position,  influence,  are  prizes 
offered  for  energy;  and  every  farmer's  boy,  every  ap- 
prentice and  clerk,  every  friendless  and  penniless  immi- 
grant, is  free  to  enter  the  lists.  Thus  many  causes 
co-operate  to  produce  here  the  most  forceful  and  tremen- 
dous energy  in  the  world. 

What  is  the  significance  of  such  facts  ?  These  tend- 
encies infold  the  future;  they  are  the  mighty  alpliabet 
with  which  God  writes  his  prophecies.  May  we  not,  by 
a  careful  laying  together  of  the  letters,  spell  out  some- 
thing of  his  meaning?  It  seems  to  me  that  God,  with 
infinite  wisdom  and  skill,  is  training  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race  for  an  hour  sure  to  come  in  the  world's  future. 
Heretofore  there  has  always  been  in  the  history  of  the 
world  a  comparatively  unoccupied  land  westward,  into 
which  the  crowded  countries  of  the  East  have  pourcl 
their  surplus  jjopulations.  But  the  widening  waves  «  i 
migration,  which  millenniums  ago  rolled  east  and  west 
from  the  valley  of  the  Euphrates,  meet  to-day  on  our 
Pacific  coast.  There  are  no  more  new  worlds.  The  un- 
occupied arable  lands  of  the  earth  are  limited,  and  Avill 
soon  be  taken.  The  time  is  coming  when  the  pressure 
of  population  on  the  means  of  subsistence  will  be  felt 
here  as  it  is  now  felt  in  Europe  and  Asia.  Then  will 
the  Avorld  enter  upon  a  new  stage  of  its  history— f^/ie 
final  competition  of  races,  for  ivhich  the  Anglo-Saxon 
is  being  schooled.  Long  before  the  thousand  millions 
are  here,  the  mighty  centrifugal  tendency,  inherent  in 
this  stock  and  strengthened  in  the  United  States,  will 
assert  itself.  Then  this  race  of  unequaled  energy,  with 
all  the  majesty  of  numbers  and  the  might  of  wealth  be- 
hind it— the  representative,  let  us  hope,  of  the  largest 
liberty,  the  purest  Christianity,  the  highes^t  civilization 
-  having  developed  peculiarly  aggressive  traits  calcu- 
lated to  impress  its  institutions  upon  mankind,  will 
spread  itself  over  the  earth.     If  I  read  not  amiss,  this 


TJIE    ANGLO-SAXOX    AND    THE    WORLD'S    FUTURE.     2'lo 

powerful  race  will  move  down  upon  Mexico,  down  upon 
Central  and  South  America,  out  upon  the  islands  of 
the  sea,  over  upon  Africa  and  beyond.  And  can  any- 
one doubt  that  the  result  of  this  competition  of  races 
will  be  the  "survival  of  the  fittest?"  "Any  people," 
says  Dr.  Bushnell,  "  that  is  ph^^siologically  advanced 
in  culture,  though  it  be  only  in  a  degree  beyond  another 
which  is  mingled  with  it  on  strictly  equal  terms,  is  sui-e 
to  live  down  and  finally  live  out  its  infei-ior.  Nothing 
can  save  the  inferior  race  but  a  ready  and  pliant  assimi- 
lation. Whether  the  feebler  and  more  abject  races  are 
going  to  be  regenerated  and  raised  up,  is  already  very 
much  of  a  question.  What  if  it  should  be  God's  plan 
to  people  the  world  with  better  and  finer  material? 
"  Certain  it  is,  whatever  expectations  we  may  indulge, 
that  there  is  a  tremendous  overbearing  surge  of  power 
in  the  Christian  nations,  which,  if  the  others  are  not 
speedily  raised  to  some  vastly  higher  capacity,  will 
inevitably  submerge  and  bury  them  forever.  These 
great  populations  of  Christendom — what  are  they  doing, 
but  throwing  out  their  colonies  on  every  side,  and 
populating  themselves,  if  J  may  so  speak,  into  the  pos- 
session of  all  countries  and  climes?  "  ^  To  this  result  no 
war  of  extermination  is  needful ;  the  contest  is  not  one 
of  arms,  but  of  vitality  and  of  civilization.  ' '  At  the 
present  day,"  says  Mr.  Darwin,  "civilized  nations  are 
everywhere  supplanting  barbarous  nations,  excepting 
where  the  climate  opposes  a  deadly  barrier;  and  they 
succeed  mainly,  though  not  exclusively,  thi'ough  their 
arts,  which  are  the  products  of  the  intellect."  2  Thus 
the  Finns  were  supplanted  by  the  Aryan  races  in  Europe 
and  Asia,  the  Tartars  by  the  Russians,  and  thus  the 
aborigines  of  North  America,  Australia  and  New  Zea- 
land are  now  disappearing  before  the  all-conquering 
Anglo-Saxons.  It  seems  as  if  these  inferior  tribes  were 
only  precursors  of  a  superior  race,  voices  in  the  wilder- 


>  Christian  Nurture,  pp.  207,  313. 
«  Descent  of  Man,  Vol.  I.  p.  154. 


224    THE    ANGLO-SAXON    AND   THE    WOllLD'S    EL'TUKE. 

iiess  crying:  "  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord!"  The 
savage  is  a  hunter;  by  the  incoming  of  civihzation  the 
game  is  driven  away  and  disappears  before  the  hunter 
becomes  a  herder  or  an  agriculturist.  The  savage  is 
ignorant  of  many  diseases  of  civilization  which,  when 
he  is  exposed  to  them,  attack  him  before  he  learns  how 
to  treat  them.  Civilization  also  has  its  vices,  of  which 
the  uninitiated  savage  is  innocent.  He  proves  an  apt 
learner  of  vice,  but  dull  enough  in  the  school  of  morals. 

Every  civilization  has  its  destructive  and  preservative 
elements.  The  Anglo-Saxon  race  would  speedily  decay 
\  but  for  the  salt  of  Christianity.  Bring  savages  into 
contact  with  our  civilization,  and  its  destructive  forces 
become  operative  at  once,  while  years  are  necessary  to 
render  effective  the  saving  influences  of  Christian  in- 
struction. Moreover,  the  pioneer  wave  of  our  civiliza- 
tion carries  with  it  more  scum  than  salt.  Where  there 
is  one  missionary,  there  are  hundreds  of  miners  or 
traders  or  adventurers  ready  to  debauch  the  native. 

Whether  the  extinction  of  inferior  races  before  the 
advancing  Anglo-Saxon  seems  to  the  reader  sad  or  other- 
wise, it  certainly  appears  probable.  I  know  of  nothing 
except  climatic  conditions  to  prevent  this  race  from 
populating  Africa  as  it  has  peopled  North  America. 
And  those  portions  of  Africa  which  are  unfavorable 
to  Anglo-Saxon  life  are  less  extensive  than  was  once 
supposed.  The  Dutch  Boers,  after  two  centuries  of  life 
there,  are  as  hardy  as  any  race  on  earth.  The  Anglo- 
Saxon  has  established  himself  in  climates  totally  diverse- 
Canada,  South  Africa,  and  India— and,  through  several 
generations,  has  preserved  his  essential  race  characteris- 
tics. He  is  not,  of  course,  superior  to  climatic  in- 
fluences; but  even  in  warm  climates,  he  is  likely  to 
retain  his  aggressive  vigor  long  enough  to  supplant  races 
already  enfeebled.  Thus,  in  what  Dr.  Bushnell  calls 
j"  the  out-populating  power  of  the  Christian  stock,"  may 
he  found  God's  final  and  complete  solution  of  the  dark 
problem  of  heathenism  among  many  inferior  peoples. 

Some  of  the  stronger  races,  doubtless,  may  be  able  to 


THE    ANGLO-SAXON    AND   TH  K    WuJiLO's    FUTURE.    225 

preserve  their  integrity ;  but,  in  order  to  comjpcte  with 
the  Anglo-Saxon,  they  will  probably  be  forced  to  adopt 
his  methods  and  instruments,  his  civilization  and  his  re- 
ligion. Significant  movements  are  now  in  progress 
among  them.  While  the  Christian  religion  was  never 
more  vital,  or  its  hold  upon  the  Anglo-Saxon  mind 
stronger,  there  is  taking  place  among  the  nations  a  wide- 
spread int(»llectual  revolt  against  traditional  beliefs. 
"  In  every  corner  of  the  world,"  says  Mr.  Froude,i  "  there 
is  the  same  phenomenon  of  the  decay  of  established  re- 
ligions. .  .  .  Among  the  Mohammedans,  Jews,  Budd- 
hists, Brahmins,  traditionary  creeds  are  losing  their 
hold.  An  intellectual  revolution  is  sweeping  over 
the  world,  breaking  down  established  opinions,  dissolv- 
ing foundations  on  which  historical  faiths  have  been 
built  up."  The  contact  of  Christian  with  heathen  na- 
tions is  awakening  the  latter  to  nefv^  life.  Old  supersti- 
tions are  loosening  their  grasp.  The  dead  crust  of  fossil 
faiths  is  being  shattered  by  the  movements  of  life  under- 
neath. In  Catholic  countries,  Catholicism  is  losing  its 
influence  over  educated  minds,  and  in  some  cases  the 
masses  have  already  lost  all  faith  in  it.  Thus,  while  on 
this  continent  God  is  training  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  for 
its  mission,  a  complemental  work  has  been  in  progress 
in  the  great  world  beyond.  God  has  two  hands.  Not 
only  is  he  preparing  in  our  civilization  the  die  with 
which  to  stamp  the  nations,  but,  by  what  Southey  called 
the  "timing  of  Providence,"  he  is  preparing  mankind  to 
receive  our  impress. 

/  Is  there  room  for  reasonable  doubt  that  this  race,  un- 
iless  devitalized  by  alcohol  and  tobacco,  is  destined  to 
dispossess  many  weaker  races,  assimilate  others,  and 
mold  the  remainder,  until,  in  a  very  true  and  important 
sense,  it  has  Anglo-Saxonized  mankind?  Already  "the 
English  language,  saturated  with  Christian  ideas,  gather- 
ing up  into  itself  the  best  thought  of  all  the  ages,  is  the 
great  agent  of    Christian    civilization    throughout    the 

»  North  American  Revieio,  December,  1879. 


22i'>    TIIH    ANGLO-SAXON    AND    TIIR    WORLDS    FUTURE. 

world ;  at  this  moment  affecting  the  destinies  and  mold- 
ing the  character  of  half  the  human  race."  i  Jacob 
Grimm,  the  German  philologist,  said  of  this  language : 
"  It  seems  chosen,  like  its  people,  to  rule  in  future  times 
in  a  still  greater  degree  in  all  the  corners  of  the  earth."' 
He  predicted,  indeed,  that  the  language  of  Shakespeare 
would  eventually  become  the  language  of  mankind.  Is 
not  Tennyson's  noble  prophecy  to  find  its  fulfillment  in 
Anglo-Saxondom's  extending  its  dominion  and  influ- 
ence— 

"Till  the  war-drum  throbs  no  longer,  and  the  battle-flags  are  fnrlM 
In  the  Parliament  of  man,  the  Federation  of  the  world."  ^ 

In  my  own  mind,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  is  to  exercise  the  commanding  influence  in  the 
world's  future ;  but  the  exact  nature  of  that  influence  is, 
as  yet,  undetermined.  How  far  his  civilization  will  be 
materialistic  and  atheistic,  and  how  long  it  will  take 
thorougiily  to  Christianize  and  sweeten  it,  how  rapidly  he 
will  hasten  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  Avherein  dwelleth 
righteousness,  or  how  many  ages  he  may  retard  it,  is  still 
uncertain;  but  is  now  being  swiftly  determined.  Let  us 
weld  together  in  a  chain  the  various  links  of  our  logic 
which  we  have  endeavored  to  forge.  Is  it  manifest  that 
the  Anglo-Saxon  holds  in  his  hands  the  destinies  of  man- 
kind for  ages  to  come?  Is  it  evident  that  the  United 
States  is  to  be  the  home  of  this  race,  the  principal  seat  of 
his  power,  the  great  center  of  his  influence ?  Is  it  true  (see 
Chap.  HI.)  that  the  great  West  is  to  dominate  the  na- 
tion's future?  Has  it  been  shown  (Chapters  XII.  and  XIII.) 
that  this  generation  is  to  determine  the  character,  and 
hence  the  destiny  of  the  West?  Then  may  God  open 
the  eyes  of  this  generation  1  When  Napoleon  drew  np 
his  troops  before  the  Mamelukes,  under  the  shadow  of 
the  Pyramids,  pointing  to  the  latter,  he  said  to  his  sol- 
diers: "Remember  that  from  yonder  heights  forty  cen- 

'  Rev.  N.  G.  Clark,  D.D.  »  "  Locksley  Hall." 


THE    AxNGLO-SAXOX    AND   THE    WOULD  S    FLTLUE.     "ZZi 

turies  look  down  on  you."  Men  of  this  generation,  from 
the  pja-aniid  top  of  opportunity  on  which  God  has  set  us, 
ive  look  doiuii  on  forty  centuries!  We  stretch  our  hand 
into  the  future  with  power  to  mold  the  destinies  of  un-i 
born  millions. 

"  ^Ve  are  living,  we  are  dwelling, 
lu  a  grand  and  awful  time. 
In  an  age  on  ages  telling— 
To  be  living  is  sublime!  " 

Notwithstanding-  the  great  perils  which  threaten  it,  I 
cannot  think  our  civilization  will  perish ;  but  I  believe 
it  is  fully^  in  the  hands  of  the  Christians  of  the  United 
States,  during  the  next  ten  or  fifteen  years,  to  hasten 
or  retard  the  coming  of  Christ's  kingdom  in  the  world  by 
hundreds,  and  perhaps  thousands,  of  years.  We  of  this 
gc'neration  and  nation  occupy  the  Gibraltar  of  the  ages 
which  commands  the  world's  future. 


Average  Annual  Increase  of  Wealth  of  C^liurch-Alemberri  in  the 
United  States  from  18S0  to  1800,  $i;}4,7!i0,000. 


Contributions  to  Home  and  Foreign  Missions  in  1890,  $10,69."),250. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MONEY  AND  THE  KINGDOM. 

PRorERTY  is  one  of  the  cardinal  facts  of  our  civiliza- 
tion. It  is  the  great  object  of  endeavor,  the  great  spring 
of  power,  the  great  occasion  of  discontent,  and  one  of 
the  great  sources  of  danger.  For  Christians  to  appre- 
hend their  true  relations  to  money,  and  the  relations  of 
money  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ  and  its  progress  in  the 
world,  is  to  find  the  key  to  many  of  the  great  problems 
now  pressing  for  sohition. 

]\Ioney  is  power  in  the  concrete.  It  commands  learn- 
ing, skill,  experience,  wisdom,  talent,  influence,  numbers. 
It  represents  the  school,  the  college,  the  church,  the 
printing-press,  and  all  evangelizing  machinery.  It  con- 
fers on  the  wise  man  a  sort  of  omnipresence.     By  means 


MONEY   AND  THE   KINGDOM.  329 

of  it,  the  same  man  may,  at  the  same  moment,  be  found- 
ing an  academy  among  the  Mormons,  teaching  the  New 
Mexicans,  building  a  home  missionary  church  in  Dakota, 
translating  the  Scriptures  in  Africa,  preaching  the  gospel 
in  China,  and  uttering  the  precepts  of  ten  thousand 
Bibles  in  India.  It  is  the  modern  miracle  worker;  it 
has  a  wonderful  multiplying  and  transforming  power. 
Sarah  Hosmer,  of  Lowell,  though  a  poor  woman,  supported 
a  student  in  the  Nestorian  Seminary,  who  became  a 
preacher  of  Christ.  Five  times  she  gave  fifty  dollars, 
earning  the  money  in  a  factory,  and  sent  out  five  native 
pastors  to  Christian  work.  When  more  than  sixty  years 
old,  she  longed  to  furnish  Nestoria  with  one  more 
preacher  of  Christ;  and,  living  in  an  attic,  she  took  in 
sewing  until  she  had  accomplished  her  cherished  purpose. 
In  the  hands  of  this  consecrated  woman,  money  trans- 
formed the  factory  girl  and  the  seamstress  into  a  mission- 
ary of  the  Cross,  and  then  multiplied  her  six-fold.  God 
forbid  that  I  should  attribute  to  money  power  which 
belongs  only  to  faith,  love,  and  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  the 
problem  of  Christian  work,  money  is  like  the  cipher, 
worthless  alone,  but  multiplying  many  fold  the  value 
and  effectiveness  of  other  factors. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  has  been  set  forth  the  won- 
derful opportunity  enjoyed  by  this  generation  in  the 
United  States.  It  lays  on  us  a  commensurate  obligation. 
We  have  also  seen  (Chap.  X.)  that  our  wealth  is  stupen- 
dous. If  our  responsibility  is  without  a  precedent,  the 
plenitude  of  our  power  is  likewise  without  a  parallel. 
Is  not  the  lesson  which  God  would  have  us  learn  so  plain 
that  he  who  runs  may  read  it?  Has  not  God  given  us 
this  matchless  power  that  it  may  be  applied  to  doing 
this  matchless  work? 

The  kingdoms  of  this  world  will  not  have  become  the 
kingdoms  of  our  Lord  until  the  money  power  has  been 
Christianized.  "Talent  has  been  Christianized  already 
on  a  large  scale.  The  political  power  of  states  and  king- 
doms has  been  long  assumed  to  be,  and  now  at  least 
really  is,  as  far  as  it  becomes  their  accepted  office  to 


230  MONEY    AXD   THE    KINGDOM, 

inaintain  personal  security  and  liberty.  Architecture, 
arts,  constitutions,  schools,  and  learning  have  been 
largely  Christianized.  But  the  money  power,  which  is 
one  of  the  most  operative  and  grandest  of  all,  is  only 
beginning  to  be;  though  with  promising  tokens  of  a 
finally  complete  reduction  to  Christ  and  the  uses  of  His 
Kingdom.  .  .  .  That  day,  when  it  comes,  is  the  morn- 
ing, so  to  speak,  of  the  new  creation."  ^  Is  it  not  time  for 
tliat  day  to  dawn?  If  we  would  Christianize  our  Anglo- 
Saxon  civilization,  which  is  to  spread  itself  over  the 
earth,  has  not  the  hour  come  for  the  Church  to  teach  and 
live  the  doctrines  of  God's  Word  touching  possessions? 
Their  general  acceptance  on  the  part  of  the  chuttih 
would  involve  a  reformation  scarcely  less  important  in 
its  results  than  the  great  Reformation  of  the  sixteenth 
century.  I  What  is  needed  is  not  simply  an  increased 
giving,  an  enlarged  estimate  of  the  "Lord's  share,"  but 
a  radically  different  conception  of  our  relations  to  our 
possessions.  Most  Christian  men  need  to  discover  that 
they  are  not  proprietors,  apportioning  their  own,  but 
simply  trustees  or  managers  of  God's  property.  All 
Christians  would  admit  that  there  is  a  sense  in  which 
their  all  belongs  to  God,  but  deem  it  a  very  poetical 
sense,  wholly  unpractical  and  practicallj^  unreal.  The 
great  majority  treat  their  possessions  exactly  as  they 
would  treat  property,  use  their  substance  exactly  as  if  it 
were  their  own. 

Christians  generally  hold  that  God  has  a  thoroughly 
real  claim  on  some  portion  of  their  income,  possibly  a 
tenth,  more  likely  no  definite  proportion;  but  some 
small  part,  they  acknowledge,  belongs  to  him,  and  they 
hold  themselves  in  duty  bound  to  use  it  for  him.  This 
low  and  imchristian  view  has  sprung  apparently  from  a 
misconception  of  the  Old  Testament  doctrine  of  tithes. 
God  did  not,  for  the  surrender  of  a  part,  renounce  all 
(•laim  to  the  remainder.  The  Jew  was  taught,  in  lan- 
guage most  explicit  and  oft-repeated,  that  he  and  all  he 

'  Biishnell's  Seinioiis  on  Living  Subjects,  pp.  8{>4,  205. 


MONEY    AND   THE    KINGDOM.  231 

had  belonged  absolutely  to  God.  "Behold,  the  heaven 
and  the  licaven  of  licnivens  is  the  Lord's,  thy  God,  and 
the  earth  also,  with  all  that  therein  is"'  (Deut.  x,  14). 
"The  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  the  fullness  thereof;  the 
woi-ld,  and  they  that  dwell  therein"  (Ps.  xxiv,  Ij^  "The 
silver  is  mine  and  the  gold  is  mine,  saith  the  Lord " 
(Hag.  ii.  S).  "Behold,  all  souls  are  mine;  as  the  soul 
of  the  father,  so  also  the  soul  of  the  son  is  mine" 
(Ezek.  xviii,  4).  When  the  priest  was  consecrated,  the 
blood  of  the  ram  was  put  upon  the  right  ear,  the  thumb 
of  the  right  hand,  and  the  great  toe  of  the  right  foot,  to 
indicate  that  ho  should  come  and  go,  use  his  hands  and 
powers  of  mind,  in  short,  his  entire  self,  in  the  service 
of  God.  These  parts  of  the  body  were  selected  as  repre- 
sentative of  the  whole  man.  The  tithe  Avas  likewise 
representative.  "  For,  if  the  first  fruit  be  holy,  the  lump 
is  also  holy  "  (Rom.  xi,  16).  Tithes  were  devoted  to  cer- 
tain uses,  specified  by  God,  in  recognition  of  the  fact  that 
all  belonged  to  him. 

THE   PRINCIPLE  STATED. 

•  God's  claim  to  the  whole  rests  on  exactly  the  same 
ground  as  his  claim  to  a  part.  As  the  Creator,  he  must 
have  an  absolute  ownership  in  all  his  creatures;  and,  if 
an  absolute  claim  could  be  strengthened,  it  would  be  by 
the  fact  that  he  who  gave  us  life  sustains  it,  and  with 
his  own  life  redeemed  it.  ' '  Ye  are  not  your  own ;  for  ye 
are  bought  with  a  price  "  (I  Cor.  vi,  19,  20).  Manifestly, 
if  God  has  absolute  OAvnership  in  us,  we  can  have  abso- 
lute ownership  in  nothing  whatever.  If  we  cannot  lay 
claim  to  our  own  selves,  how  much  less  to  that  which 
we  find  in  our  hand,s7  When  we  say  that  no  man  is  the 
absolute  owner  of  property  to  the  value  of  one  penny, 
we  do  not  take  the  sociali-tic  position  that  private  prop- 
erty is  theft.  Because  of  our  individual  trusts,  for 
which  we  are  held  personally  responsible,  we  have  indi- 
vidual rights  touching  property,  and  mav  have  claims 
one  against  another;  but,  between  God  aM  the  soul,  the 
distinction  of  th/ne  and  mine  is  a  snare.  /Does  one-tenth 


232  MONEY    AND   THE    KINGDOM. 

belong  to  God?  Then  ten-tenths  are  his.  He  did  not 
one-tenth  create  us  and  we  nine-tenths  create  ourselves. 
He  did  not  one-tenth  redeem  us  and  we  nine-tenths 
redeem  ourselves"?  If  his  claim  to  a  part  is  good,  his 
claim  to  the  Vvhole  is  equally  good.  His  ownership  in  us 
is  no  joint  affair.  We  are  not  in  partnership  with  him. 
All  that  we  are  and  have  is  utterly  his,  and  his  only. 
r*  When  the  Scriptui-es  and  reason  speak  of  God's 
ownership  in  us  they  use  the  word  in  no  accommodated 
sense.  It  means  all  that  it  can  mean  in  a  court  of  law. 
It  means  that  God  has  a  right  to  the  service  of  his  own. 
It  means  that,  since  our  possessions  are  his  property, 
they  should  be  used  in  his  service— not  a  fraction  of 
them,  but  the  whole.  When  the  lord  returned  from  the 
far  country,  to  reckon  with  his  servants  to  whom  he  had 
entrusted  his  goods,  he  demanded  not  simply  a  small 
portion  of  the  increase,  biit  held  his  servants  accountable 
for  both  principal  and  interest— "  mine  own  with  usury.  " 
Every  dollar  that  belongs  to  God  must  serve  him.  And  it 
is  not  enough  that  we  make  a  good  use  of  our  means. 
We  are  under  exactly  the  same  obligations  to  make  the 
best  use  of  our  money  that  we  are  to  make  a  good  use  of 
it  ;  and  to  make  any  use  of  it  other  than  the  best  is  a 
maladministration  of  trust.  Here,  then,  is  the  principle 
always  applicable,  that  of  our  entire  j^ossessions,  every 
dollar,  every  cent,  is  to  be  employed  in  the  icay  that  will 
best  honor  God. 

THE  PRINCIPLE  APPLIED. 

The  statement  of  this  principle  at  once  suggests  diffi- 
culties in  its  application.     I.et  us  glance  at  some  of  them. 

1.  An  attempt  to  regulate  personal  expenditures  by  this 
principle  affords  opportunity  for  fanaticism  on  the  one 
linnd  and  for  self-deception  on  the  other  ;  but  an  honest 
and  intelligent  application  of  it  will  avoid  both. 

Surely,  it  is  right  to  supply  our  necessities.  But  what 
are  necessities  ?  Advancing  civilization  nniltiplies  them. 
Friction  matclies  were  a  luxury  once,  iliey  are  a  neces- 
sity now.     And  may  we  allow  ourselves  nothing  for  the 


MONEY    AND    THE    KINGDOM.  233 

comforts  and  luxuries  of  life  ?  Where  shall  we  draw  the 
line  between  justifiable  and  unjustifiable  expenditure  ? 

The  Christian  has  given  hniiself  to  God,  or,  rather,  has 
recognized  and  accepted  the  divine  ownership  in  him. 
He  is  under  obligations  to  apply  every  power,  whether 
of  mind,  body,  or  possessions,  to  God's  service.  He  is 
bound  to  make  that  service  as  effective  as  possible. 
Certain  expenditures  upon  himself  are  necessary  to  his 
highest  growth  and  greatest  usefulness,  and  are,  there- 
fore, not  only  permissible,  but  obligatory.  All  the 
money  which  will  yield  a  larger  return  of  usefulness  in 
the  world,  of  greater  good  to  the  Kingdom,  by  being 
spent  on  ourselves  or  families  than  by  being  applied 
otherwise,  is  used  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  is  better 
spent  than  it  would  have  been  if  given  to  missions. 
And  whatever  money  is  spent  on  self  that  would  have 
yielded  larger  returns  of  usefulness,  if  applied  otherwise, 
is  misapplied ;  and,  if  it  has  been  done  intelligently,  it  is 
a  case  of  embezzlement. 

A  narrow  view  at  this  point  is  likely  to  lead  us  into 
fanaticism.  We  must  look  at  life  in  its  wide  relations, 
and  remember  that  character  is  its  supreme  end.  Char- 
acter is  the  one  thing  in  the  universe,  so  far  as  we  know, 
which  is  of  absolute  worth,  and  therefore  beyond  all 
price.  The  glory  of  the  Infinite  is  all  of  it  the  glory  of 
character.  Every  expenditure  which  serves  to  broaden 
and  beautify  and  upbuild  character  is  worthy.  The  one 
question  ever  to  be  kept  in  mind  is  whether  it  is  the 
wisest  application  of  means  to  the  desired  end.  Will 
this  particular  application  of  power  in  money  produce 
the  largest  results  in  character  ! 

But  what  of  the  beautiful  ?  How  far  may  we  gratify 
our  love  of  it  ?  A  delicate  and  difficult  question  to 
answer,  especially  to  the  satisfaction  of  those  living  in 
the  midst  of  a  luxurious  civilization.  Our  guiding  prin- 
ciple holds  here  as  everywhere,  only  its  application  is 
difficult.  It  is  difficult  to  determine  how  useful  the 
beautiful  may  be.  Doubtless,  at  times,  as  Victor  Hugo 
has  said,  "The  beautiful  is  as  useful  as  the  useful  ;  per- 


234  MOXEY    AND   THE    KINGDOM. 

haps  more  so.  "  The  ministry  of  art  widens  with  the 
iiicreasing  refinement  of  the  nervous  organization.  There 
are  those  to  whom  the  beautiful  is,  in  an  important  sense, 
a  necessity.  God  loves  the  beautiful.  Each  flower 
would  yield  its  seed  and  perpetuate  its  kind  as  surely 
if  each  blossom  were  not  a  smile  of  its  Creator.  The 
stars  would  swing  on  in  their  silent,  solenm  march  as 
true  to  gravitation,  if  they  did  not  glow  like  mighty 
rubies  and  emeralds  and  sapphires.  The  clouds  would 
be  as  faithful  carriers  of  the  bounty  of  the  sea,  if  God 
did  not  paint  their  morning  and  evening  glory  from  the 
rainbow  as  his  palette.  Yes  ;  God  loves  the  beautiful, 
and  intended  we  sliould  love  it ;  but  he  does  not  have  to 
economize  his  power  ;  his  resources  are  not  limited. 
When  he  spreads  the  splendors  of  the  rising  East,  it  is  not 
at  the  cost  of  bread  enough  to  feed  ten  thousand  starving 
souls.  Art  has  an  educational  value  in  our  homes  and 
schools  and  parks  and  galleries ;  but  how  far  may  one 
who  recognizes  his  Christian  stewardship  conscientiously 
go  in  the  encouragement  of  art  and  the  gratification  of 
taste?  If  every  man  did  his  dutj/,  gaxe  according  to 
ability,  there  would  be  abundant  provision  for  all  Chris- 
tian and  philanthropic  work,  and  substance  left  for  the 
patronage  of  art.  But  not  one  man  in  a  hundred  is  doing 
his  duty ;  hence  those  who  appreciate  the  neces.sities  of 
Christian  work  must  fill  the  breach,  and  are  not  at  liberty 
tt»  make  expenditures  which  would  otherwise  be  wholly 
justifiable.  Many  expenditures  are  right  abstractly 
considered.  That  is,  would  be  right  in  an  ideal  condition 
of  society.  But  the  condition  of  the  world  is  not  ideal  ; 
we  are  surrounded  by  circumstances  which  must  be 
recognized  exactly  as  they  are.  Sin  is  abnormal,  the 
world  is  out  of  joint  ;  and  such  facts  lay  on  us  obligations 
which  would  not  otherwise  exist,  make  sacrifices  neces- 
sary which  would  not  otherwise  be  binding,  forbid  the 
gratification  of  tastes  which  are  natural,  and  might 
otherwise  be  indulged.  Thrice  true  is  this  of  us  who  live 
m  this  great  national  crisis  and  world  emergency.  It  is 
well  to  play  the  violin,  but  not  when  Rome  is  burning. 


MONEY   AND   THE    KINGDOM.  235 

Here  is  a  large  family  of  which  the  husband  and  father 
is  a  contemptible  lounger  (if  loafers  had  any  appreciation 
of  the  eternal  fitness  of  things,  they  would  die) ;  he  does 
simply  nothing  for  the  support  of  the  family.  Excep- 
tional cares  are,  therefore,  laid  on  the  wife  and  mother. 
She  must  expend  all  her  time  and  strength  to  secure  the 
bare  necessaries  of  life  for  her  children;  and  with  the 
utmost  sacrificfi  on  her  part  they  go  hungry  and  cold. 
If  her  wretched  husband  did  his  duty,  she  could  com- 
mand time  and  means  to  beautify  the  home  and  make 
the  dress  of  herself  and  children  attractive ;  but,  under 
the  circumstances,  it  would  be  worse  than  foolish  for  her 
to  spend  her  scant  earnings .  on  vases  and  flo wei's,  laces 
and  velvets.  God  has  laid  upon  Christian  nations  the 
work  of  evangelizing  the  heathen  world.  He  has  laid 
on  us  the  duty  of  Christianizing  our  own  heathen,  and 
under  such  conditions  that  the  obligation  presses  with 
an  overwhelming  urgency.  If  this  duty  were  accepted 
by  all  Christians,  the  burden  would  rest  lightly  upon 
each;  but  great  multitudes  in  the  church  are  shirking 
all  responsibility.  So  far  as  the  work  of  missions  is  con- 
cerned, these  members  of  the  household  of  faith  are 
loungers.  The  unfaithful  many  throw  unnatural  bur- 
dens on  the  faithful  few.  Under  these  circumstances  he 
who  would  be  faithful  must  accept  sacrifices  which 
would  not  otherwise  be  his  duty.  That  is,  the  principle 
always  and  everywhere  applicable,  that  we  are  under 
obligations  to  make  the  wisest  use  of  every  penny,  binds 
him  to  a  use  of  his  means  which,  if  every  Christian  did 
his  duty,  would  not  be  necessary.  Notwithstanding  all 
the  sacrifices  made  by  some,  there  are  vast  multitudes, 
which  the  established  channels  of  beneficence  have  placed 
within  our  reach,  who  are  starving  for  the  Bread  of  Life. 
As  long  as  this  is  true,  must  not  high  uses  of  money 
yield  to  the  highest?  It  is  not  enough  to  be  sure  that  we 
are  making  a  good  use  of  means;  for,  as  the  Germans 
say,  the  good  is  a  great  enemy  of  the  best.  The  expen- 
diture of  a  large  sum  on  a  work  of  art  may  be  a  good  use 
of  the  money,  but  can  any  one  not  ptirblind  witli  selfish- 


236  MOXEY    AX'D   TUE    KIXGDOM. 

ness  fail  to  see  that,  when  a  thousand  dollars  actually 
represents  the  salvation  of  a  certain  number  of  souls, 
there  are  higher  uses  for  the  money  ? 

The  purchase  of  luxuries  is  often  justified  by  the  fol- 
lowing fallacy:  "lam  giving  work  and  hence  bread  to 
the  poor ;  and  it  is  nmch  wiser  thus  to  let  them  earn  it 
than  to  encourage  them  in  idleness  by  bestowing  the 
price  of  the  lace  in  charity."  Thus  many  justify  extrav- 
agance and  make  their  luxuries  flatter  their  pride  into 
the  complacent  conviction  that  they  are  unselfish.  An 
economy  in  truth — forcing  the  same  act  to  minister  at 
once  to  self-indulgence  and  self -righteousness !  Does  it 
make  no  difi:"erence  to  the  world  how  its  labor  is 
expended,  whether  on  something  useful  or  useless,  for 
high  uses  or  low?  Your  one  elegant  dress  has  given 
many  day's  work  to  many  persons.  But  is  there  no  self- 
ishness in  the  fact  that  their  labor  was  consumed  on 
yourself  alone  when  it  might  have  clothed  a  score  or 
more  who  are  now  shivering  in  rags?  "Do  not  cheat 
yourself  into  thinking  tliat  all  the  finery  you  can  wear 
is  so  much  put  into  the  hungrj'  mouths  of  those  beneath 
you:  it  is  not  so;  it  is  w^liat  you  yourselves,  whetlier 
you  will  or  no,  must  sometime  instinctively  feel  it  to 
be— it  is  what  those  wiio  stand  shivering  in  the  streets, 
forming  a  line  to  watch  you  as  you  step  out  of  your  car- 
riages, kmrw  it  to  be;  those  fine  dresses  do  not  mean 
that  so  much  has  been  put  into  their  mouths,  but  that  so 
much  has  been  taken  out  of  their  mouths.  The  real 
politico-economical  signification  of  every  one  of  those 
beautiful  toilettes  is  just  this:  that  you  have  had  a  cer- 
tain number  of  people  put  for  a  certain  number  of  days 
wholly  under  your  authority  by  the  sternest  of  slave- 
masters,— hunger  and  cold;  and  you  have  said  to  them, 
'  I  will  feed  you,  indeed,  and  clothe  you,  and  give  you 
fuel  for  so  many  days:  but  during  those  days  you  shall 
work  for  me  only ;  your  little  brothers  need  clothes,  but 
you  shall  make  none  for  them ;  your  sick  friend  needs 
clothes,  but  you  shall  make  none  for  her;  you  vduisclf 
will  soon  need  another,  and  a  warmer  dress,  but  ynu 


MONEY    AND   THE    KINGDOM,  237 

shall  make  noiio  for  yourself.  You  shall  make  nothing 
but  lace  and  roses  for  me ;  for  this  fortnight  to  come, 
you  shall  work  at  the  patterns  and  petals,  and  then  I 
will  crush  and  consume  them  away  in  an  hour/  .  .  . 
As  long  as  there  are  cold  and  nakedness  in  the  land 
around  you,  so  long  there  can  be  no  question  at  all  but 
that  splendor  of  dress  is  a  crime.  In  due  time  when  we 
have  nothing  better  to  set  people  to  work  at,  it  may  be 
right  to  let  them  make  lace  and  cut  jewels ;  but,  as  long 
as  there  are  any  who  have  no  blankets  for  their  beds, 
and  no  rags  for  their  bodies,  so  long  it  is  blanket-making 
and  tailoring  we  must  set  people  to  work  at — not  lace."^ 
These  principles  which  Mr.  Ruskin  applies  to  splendor 
of  dress  are  equally  applicable  to  all  luxuries,  and  are 
an  answer  to  all  those  self-deceivers  who  excuse  their 
selfish  expenditvires  on  the  ground  that  they  give  work 
to  persons  needing  it.  "Many  hold  that  an  enormous 
expenditure  of  wealth  is  highly  commendable,  because 
it  'makes  trade.'  Tliey  forget  that  waste  is  not  wealth- 
making  ;  war,  fire,  the  sinking  of  a  ship  also  '  make 
trade,'  because  by  destroying  existing  capital  they 
increase  demand.  The  wealth  thus  wasted  would,  more 
wisely  used,  give  work  to  many  more  people  in  creating 
more  wealth.  "2 

Again,  the  advocates  or  excusers  of  self-indulgence 
pose  as  the  vindicators  of  God's  love.  They  tell  us  that 
he  gave  all  good  things  for  the  uses  of  his  children,  and 
that  he  rejoices  in  their  delight.  Yes  ;  God  is  even 
more  bene  violent  than  such  suppose.  So  greatly  does  he 
desire  our  joy  that  he  is  not  content  to  see  us  satisfied 
with  the  low  delights  of  self-gratification,  but  would 
fain  have  us  know  the  blessedness  of  self-sacrifice  for 
others.  The  writer  has  no  sympathy  with  asceticism. 
There  is  no  virtue  in  deformity  ;  good  taste  is  not 
unchristian;  beauty  often  costs  no  more  than  ugliness. 
Away  with   the   idea  of   penance.      It  belies  God,  and 


1  True  and  Beautiful,  pp.  421,  422. 

«  Economic  Tract  No.  X.     Of  Work  and  Wealth,  by  R.  R.  Bowker, 


238  MONEY    AND    Till-:    K1N(;J)()M. 

caricaiuies  the  Christinn  religion.  It  differs  from  the 
self-sacrifice  which  Christ  taught  and  exemplified  as 
widely  as  the  suicide  of  Cato  differed  fnjm  the  heroic 
death  of  Arnold  von  Winkelried.  Christ  did  not  die  for 
the  sake  of  dying,  hut  to  save  a  world  ;  and  he  does  not 
inculcate  self-denial  for  the  sake  of  self-denial,  but  for 
the  sake  of  others. 

Many  practice  self-denial,  if  not  for  its  own  sake,  only 
for  the  sake  of  saving,  imd  with  little  or  no  reference  to 
giving.  Let  a  Japanese  heathen  show  us  a  more  excel- 
lent way.  I  take  the  following  account  from  The 
Missionary  Herald,  (Sept.,  1885).  In  a  certain  place,  and 
generation  by  generation,  the  owner  and  relatives  of  a 
certain  house  pi-ospered  greatly.  Year  by  year,  those 
persons,  on  the  second  day  of  the  New  Year,  assejnbled 
and  worshiped  the  god  Kannin  Dainiiyo-jin-san.  The 
meaning  of  the  name  in  English  is  "  the  great,  bright  god 
of  self-restraint.  "  After  engaging  in  worship,  the  head 
of  the  house  opened  the  Kannin-bako  (self-restraint  box), 
and  distributed  to  the  needy  money  enough  to  enable 
them  to  live  in  comfort  for  a  time.  Tlie  money  in  tlie  box 
was  the  annual  accumulation  of  his  offering  to  his  god. 

Outsiders,  learning  of  the  prosperity,  worship,  and 
large  giving  to  the  needy,  which  characterized  this 
family,  were  astonished,  and  presented  themselves  to 
inquire  into  the  matter.  The  master  of  the  liouse,  in 
reply,  gave  the  following  account  of  the  practice  of  his 
household  : 

"From  ancient  times,  my  family  has  believed  in  and 
worshiped  'the  great,  bright  god  of  self-restraint.'  We 
have  also  made  a  box,  and  called  it,  'the  self-restraint 
box,'  for  the  reception  of  the  first-fruits  and  other  per- 
centages, all  of  which  are  offered  to  our  god. 

"As  to  percentages,  this  is  our  mode  of  proceeding  : 
If  I  would  buy  a  dollar  garment,  I  manage  by  self- 
restraint  and  economy  to  get  it  for  eighty  cents,  and  the 
remaining  twenty  cents  I  drop  into  'the  self-restraint 
box' ;  or  if  I  would  give  a  five-dollar  feast  to  my  friends, 
I  exeicise  self-restraint  and  economy,  and  give  it  for 


MONEY    AXD   THE    KINGDOM.  23'J 

four,  dropping  the  remaining  dollar  into  the  box  ;  or,  if 
I  determine  to  build  a  house  that  shall  cost  one  hundred 
dollars,  I  exercise  self-restraint  and  economj^,  and  build 
it  for  eighty,  putting  the  remaining  twenty  dollars  into 
the  box  as  an  offering  to  Kami  in  Daimiyo-j in- san.  .  .  . 
In  proportion  to  my  annual  outlays,  the  sum  in  this  box  is 
large  or  small.  This  year  my  outlays  have  been  large  ; 
hence  by  the  practice  of  the  virtues  named,  the  amount 
in  '  the  self-restraint  box '  is  great.  Yet,  notwithstand- 
ing this,  we  are  living  in  comfort,  peace  and  happi- 
ness. "  Among  us,  outlays  and  benefactions  are  apt  to 
to  be  in  inverse,  instead  of  direct,  ratio.  I  am  strongly 
inclined  to  think  that  Christians  could  gain  easy  forgive- 
ness for  a  little  idolatry  of  "the  great,  bright  god  of 
self-resti-aint."  And  if  the  "self-restraint  box  "  were 
marked  Home  Missions,  and  the  savings  resulting  from 
our  self-denial  were  dropped  into  it,  the  ' '  million  dollars 
a  year"  called  for  by  Dr.  Goodell,  in  1881,  would  be 
given  ten  times  over. 

The  general  acceptance,  by  the  Church,  of  the  Chris- 
tian principle  that  every  penny  is  to  be  used  in  the  Avay 
that  will  best  honor  God,  would  cause  every  channel  of 
benevolence  to  overflow  its  banks,  and  occasion  a  blessed 
freshet  of  salvation  throughout  the  world.  "But,"  says 
some  one,  "that  principle  demands  daily  self-denial." 
Undoubtedly ;  and  that  fact  is  the  Master's  seal  set  to  its 
truth.  "If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny 
himself,  and  take  up  his  cross  daily,  and  follow  me," 
(Luke  ix,  23). 

2.  And  there  are  no  exceptions  to  this  law  of  sacrifice ; 
it  binds  all  alike.  Christian  people  will  agree  that  mis- 
sionaries are  called  to  make  great  sacrifices  for  Christ ; 
but  why  does  the  obligation  rest  on  them  any  more  than 
on  all?  Does  the  missionary  belong  absolutely  to  God? 
No  less  do  we.  Do  the  love  and  sacrifice  of  Christ  lay 
him  under  boundless  obligation?  Christ  died  for  every 
man.  Why  is  not  the  rich  man  in  America  under  as 
great  obligation  to  practice  self-sacrifice  for  the  salvation 
of  the  heathen  as  the  missionary  in  Central  Africa,  pro- 


240  MOXKY    ANJ)   TIIK    KINCDOM. 

\idcd  his  sacrifice  can  bo  made  fruitful  of  their  good? 
And  that  is  exactly  the  provision  which  is  made  by  mis- 
sionary boards  to  day.  They  establish  channels  of  inter- 
communication which  bring  us  into  contact  with  all 
heathendom,  and  make  Africa,  which,  centuries  ago,  fell 
among  thieves,  and  has  ever  since  been  robbed  and  sore 
Avounded,  our  neighbor.  To  live  in  luxury,  and  then 
leave  a  legacy  for  missions,  does  not  fulfill  the  law  of 
sacrifice.  Every  steward  is  responsible  for  the  disposi- 
tion of  his  trust  made  by  will.  The  obligation  still  rests 
upon  him  to  bestow  his  possessions  where,  after  his 
death,  they  will  do  most  for  God.  Legacies  to  benev- 
olent societies  ought  to  be  greatly  midtiplied,  and 
would  be,  if  the  principle  of  Christian  stewardship  were 
accepted;  but  such  a  legacy  cannot  compound  for  an 
unconsecrated  life.  If  the  priest  or  Levite,  who  passed 
by  on  the  other  side,  wrote  a  codicil  to  his  will,  provid- 
ing for  wounded  wayfarers,  I  fear  it  was  hardly  coinited 
unto  him  for  righteousness,  was  hardly  a  proof  that  he 
loved  his  neighbor  as  himself.  Christ  said:  "  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gosiiel;"  and  he  did  not 
say  it  to  the  twelve,  but  to  the  wliole  body  of  believers. 
If  we  cannot  go  in  person,  we  are  under  obligations  to 
go  by  proxy.  The  rich  man  has  more  power  to  send 
than  the  missionary  has  to  go ;  he  can,  perhaps,  send  a 
dozen.  And  why  is  he  not  called  to  make  as  great  sacri- 
fices in  sending  as  the  missionary  in  going  i  ^  The  obliga- 


'  Glance  at  some  of  the  sacrifices  of  missionaries  who  go  to  the  frontier. 
Writing  to  the  Congregational  Union  for  aid  to  build  a  parsonage,  one  says: 

"  Am  sleeping  in  a  shack  three  miles  from  town,  and  takinc  my  meals  at 
the  hotel.  Not  a  house  or  building  of  any  kind  to  be  had  to  live  in.  My 
family  are  in  Ohio,  awaiting  arrangements  for  a  home.    Can  j-ou  help  us?" 

Another  writes:  "  During  the  first  two  years'  service  here,  was  obliged  to 
live  in  Seattle,  .seven  miles  away,  going  to  and  fro  on  font.  For  one  year 
since,  have  occupietl  such  a  building  as  I  could  erect  in  thirt3'  days,  with  my 
own  hands." 

Another:  "  My  wife  and  myself,  with  our  daughter  of  six  years,  have  been 
doing  our  best  to  live  (if  it  can  be  called  living)  in  an  attic  of  a  store.  It  is  all 
unfinished  inside.  By  putting  up  a  board  partition  we  have  two  rooms.  To 
reach  our  rooms  we  have  to  go  around  to  the  rear  of  the  store,  and  make 
our  way  among  boxes,  barrels,  tin  cans,  etc.,  to  the  foot  of  the  outside  stair- 


MONEY   AND   THE   KINGDOM.  241 

tions  of  all  men  rest  on  the  same  grounds.  The  law 
of  sacrifice  is  universal.  "If  any  man  will  come  after 
me;"  that  means  Dives  and  Lazarus  alike;  the  terms 
are  all-inclusive.  And  not  only  must  all  men  sacrifice, 
but  the  measure  of  sacrifice  is  the  same  for  all.  God 
does  not  ask  of  any  two  the  same  gift,  because  to  no  two 
are  his  gifts  the  same ;  but  he  does  require  of  every  man 
the  same  sacrifice.  "  Whosoever  he  be  of  you  that  for- 
saketh  not  all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple." 
(Luke  xiv,  33).  To  give  the  little  all  is  as  hard  as  to 
give  the  abounding  all.  In  both  cases  the  sacrifice  is 
the  same ;  for  it  is  measured  less  by  what  is  given  than 
by  what  remains.  Only  when  the  sacrifice  is  all-inclu- 
sive is  it  perfect  and  entire.  It  is  the  sacrifice,  not  the 
gift,  which  is  the  essential  thing  in  God's  eye.  What 
he  demands  of  every  soul  is  a  complete  sacrifice— the 
absolute  surrender  of  self,  of  all  powers  and  all  posses- 
sions; not  the  abandoning  ot  the  latter  any  more  than 
of  the  former,  but  their  entire  surrender  to  God  to  be 
used  honestly  for  him.  In  George  Herbert's  noble 
Avords : 

"  Next  to  Sincerity,  remember  still. 
Thou  must  resolve  upon  Integritij. 
God  will  have  all  thou  hast;  thy  mind,  thy  will, 
Thy  thoughts,  thy  words,  thy  works." 

Whatever  their  occupation,  Christians  have  but  one 
business  in  the  world;  viz.,  the  extending  of  Christ's 
kingdom  ;  and  merchant,  mechanic,  and  banker  are  un- 
der exactly  the  same  obligations  to  be  wholly  consecrated 
to  that  work  as  is  the  missionary. 

way  that  leads  to  our  attic.  We  are  doing  our  best  to  keep  warm ;  but  with 
mercury  twenty  degrees  below  zero  we  do  not  And  it  easy.  Then  for  these 
accommodations,  which  are  the  best  and  all  we  can  get,  we  have  to  pay  $10  a 
month.  Our  salary  is  only  $500.  Cannot  the  Union  loan  us  $250,  to  help  us 
build?  " 

Another,  writing  for  a  loan,  says  "  My  family  of  seven  lived  all  summer, 
in  a  house  twelve  by  sixteen,  having  only  two  rooms." 

Many  are  heroically  enduring  hardship  for  the  Kingdom,  at  the  front, 
whose  sacrifices  would  be  less  if  ours  were  greater,  whose  sufferings  could 
be  relieved  if  our  luxuries  were  curtailed. 


242  MOXKY    AND   THE    KIXGDOM. 

3.  One  who  believes  that  every  dollar  belongs  to  God, 
and  is  to  be  used  for  him,  will  not  imagine  that  he  has 
discharged  all  obligation  by  "giving  a  tenth  to  the 
Lord."  One  who  talks  about  the  "Lord's  tenth,"  prob- 
ably thinks  about  "his  own"  nine-tenths.  The  ques- 
tion is  not  what  proportion  belongs  to  God,  but  hav- 
ing given  all  to  him,  what  proportion  will  best  honor 
him  by  being  applied  to  the  uses  of  myself  and  family, 
and  what  proportion  will  best  honor  him  by  being  ap- 
plied to  benevolent  uses.  Because  necessities  differ  this 
proportion  will  differ.  One  man  has  a  small  income  and 
a  large  family  ;  another  has  a  large  income  and  no 
family  at  all.  Manifestly  the  proportion  which  will  be.st 
honor  God  by  being  applied  to  benevolence  is  much 
larger  in  the  one  case  than  in  the  other.  God,  therefore, 
requires  a  different  proportion  to  be  thus  applied  in  the 
two  cases.  If  men's  needs  varied  directly  as  their  in- 
comes, it  might,  perhaps,  be  practicable  and  reasonable 
to  fix  on  some  definite  proportion  as  due  from  all  to 
Christian  and  benevolent  Avork.  But,  while  men's  wants 
are  quite  apt  to  grow  Avith  their  income,  their  needs  do 
not.^  A  man  whose  income  is  five  hundred  dollars  may 
have  the  same  needs  as  his  neighbor  whose  income  is 
fifty  thousand. 

There  are  multitudes  in  the  land  who,  after  having 
given  one-tenth  of  their  increase,  might  fare  sumptu- 
ously every  day,  gratify  every  whim,  and  live  with  the 
most  lavish  expenditure.  Would  that  fulfill  the  law  of 
Christ,  "If  any  man  will  come  after  me  let  him  deny 
himself,  and  take  up  his  cross  daily  and  follow  me?" 

There  is  always  a  tendency  to  substitute  form  forspii-it, 
rules  for  principles.  It  is  so  much  easier  to  conform  the 
conduct  to  a  rule  than  to  make  a  principle  inform  the 
whole  life.  Moses  prescribed  rules  ;  Christ  inculcated 
principles— rides  for  children,  principles  for  men. 


>  When  John  Wesley's  inoonie  was  t*),  he  Hved  f^n  €'^,  and  gave  two  ; 
and  when  his  income  rose  to  £«>,  and  afterwards  to  .t'l-.-O,  he  stillhved  on 
£28,  and  give  all  the  remainder. 


MONEY    AND   THE    KINGDOM.  243 

The  law  of  tithes  was  given  when  the  race  was  in  its 
childhood,  and  the  relations  of  money  to  the  kingdom 
of  God  were  radically  different  from  what  they  are  now. 
The  Israelite  was  not  held  responsible  for  the  conversion 
of  the  world.  Money  had  no  such  spiritual  equivalents 
then  as  now  ;  it  did  not  represent  the  salvation  of  the 
heathen.  The  Jew  was  requireu  simply  to  make  pro- 
visions for  his  own  w^orship  ;  and  its  limited  demands 
might  appropriately  be  met  by  levying  upon  a  certain 
proportion  of  his  increase.  Palestine  was  his  world  and 
his  kindred  the  race  ;  but,  under  the  Christian  dispen- 
sation, the  world  is  our  country,  and  the  race  our  kin- 
dred. The  needs  of  the  world  to-day  are  boundless  ; 
hence,  ever}^  man's  obligation  to  supply  that  need  is  the 
full  measure  of  his  ability  ;  not  one-tenth,  or  any  other 
fraction  of  it.  And  no  one  exercises  that  full  measure 
until  he  has  sacrificed. 

By  all  means  let  there  be  system.  It  is  as  valuable  in 
giving  as  in  anything  else.  Proportionate  giving  to 
benevolence  is  both  reasonable  and  scriptvu-al — "  as  God 
hath  prospered."  It  is  well  to  fix  on  some  proportion  of 
income,  less  than  which  we  will  not  give,  and  then  bring 
expenses  within  the  limit  thus  laid  down.  But  when 
this  proportion  has  been  given— be  it  a  tenth,  or  fifth,  or 
half —it  does  not  follow  necessarily  that  duty  has  been 
fully  done.  There  can  be  found  in  rules  no  substitute 
for  an  honest  purpose  and  a  consecrated  heart. 

4.  The  principle  that  every  dollar  is  to  be  used  in  the 
way  that  will  best  honor  God  is  as  applicable  to  capital 
as  to  increase  or  income,  and  in  many  cases  requires  that 
a  portion  of  capital  be  applied  directly  to  benevolent 
uses.  "  But,''  says  one,  "  I  must  not  give  of  my  capitnl, 
because  that  would  impair  my  ability  to  give  in  the 
future.  I  must  not  kill  the  goose  that  lays  the  golden 
egg."  The  objection  is  of  weight,  especially  in  ordinary 
times  ;  but  these  are  times  wholly  extraordinary  ;  this 
is  the  world's  emergency.  It  may  be  quite  true  that 
giving  one  dollar  now  out  of  your  capital  would  prevent 
your   giving  five  dollars  fifteen  years  hence.     But  it 


■244  MONEY   AND   THE   KINGDOM. 

should  bo  roinenibered  that,  for  home  missionary  work, 
one  dollar  now  is  worth  ten  dollars  fifteen  years  later. 
This  saying  has  become  pi-overbial  among  the  Home 
I\IisKionaries  of  the  West. 

Money,  like  corn,  has  a  two-fold  power — that  of  min- 
istering to  want  and  that  of  reproduction.  If  there  were 
a  famine  in  the  land,  no  matter  how  sore  it  might  be,  it 
would  be  folly  to  grind  up  all  the  seed-corn  for  food. 
Rut,  on  the  other  hand,  suppose,  in  the  midst  of  the 
famine,  after  feeding  their  families  and  doling  out  a  hand- 
ful in  charity,  the  farmers  put  all  the  increase  back  into 
the  ground,  and  do  it  year  after  year,  while  the  world  is 
starving.  That  would  be  something  worse  than  foolish. 
It  would  be  criminal.  Yet  that  is  what  nuiltitudes  of 
men  are  doing.  Instead  of  applying  the  power  in  money 
to  the  end  for  which  it  was  entrusted  to  them,  they  use  it 
almost  wholly  to  accumulate  more  power.  A  miller 
might  as  well  spend  his  life  building  his  dam  high  and 
higlier,  and  never  turn  the  water  to  his  wheel.  Bishop 
Butler  said  to  his  secretary  :  "I  should  be  ashamed  of 
myself,  if  I  could  leave  ten  thousand  pounds  behind  me." 
Many  professed  Christians  die  disgracefully  and  "  wick- 
edly rich.  "  The  shame  and  sin,  however,  lie  not  in  the 
fact  that  the  power  was  gathei-ed,  but  that  it  was  un- 
wielded. 

It  is  the  duty  of  some  men  to  make  a  great  deal  of 
money.  God  has  given  to  them  the  money-making 
talent;  and  it  is  as  Avrong  to  bury  that  talent  as  to  bury 
a  talent  for  preaching.  It  is  every  man's  duty  to  wield 
the  widest  possible  power  for  righteousness:  and  the 
]iower  in  money  must  be  gained  before  it  can  be  used, 
l^ut  let  a  man  beware !  This  power  in  money  is  some- 
thing awful.  It  is  more  dangerous  than  dynamite.  The 
victims  of  " saiut-seducing  gold"  are  numberless.  If  a 
Christian  grows  rich,  it  should  be  with  fear  and  trem- 
liling,  lest  the  "  decoitfulness  of  riches"  undo  him;  for 
C'hrist  spoke  of  the  salvation  of  a  rich  man  as  something 
miraculous  (Luke  xviii.  24-^7). 

Let  no  man  deceive  himself  by  saying:  "I  will  give 


MOKEY   AND   THE    KINGDOM.  245 

when  I  have  amassed  wealth.  I  desire  money  that  I 
may  do  good  with  it;  but  I  will  not  give  now,  that  I 
may  give  the  more  largely  in  the  future."  That  is  the 
pit  in  which  many  have  perished.  If  a  man  is  growing 
large  in  wealth,  nothing  but  constant  and  generous 
giving  can  save  him  from  growing  small  in  soul.  In 
determining  the  amount  of  his  gifts  and  the  question 
wliether  he  should  impair  his  capital,  or  to  what  extent, 
a  man  should  never  lose  sight  of  a  distinct  and  intelli- 
gent aim  to  do  the  greatest  possible  good  in  a  life-time. 
Each  must  decide  for  himself  what  is  the  wisest,  the 
highest,  use  of  money ;  and  we  need  often  to  remind  our- 
selves of  the  constant  tendency  of  hvmian  nature  to  sel- 
fishness and  self-deception. 

THE   PRINCIPLE  NOT  ACCEPTED, 

The  principle  which  has  been  stated  and  briefly  applied, 
and  which  is  as  abundantly  sustained  by  reason  as  it  is 
clearly  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  is  not  accepted  by  the 
Christian  Church.  There  are  many  noble  gifts  and  noble 
givers ;  but  they  only  help  us  to  demonstrate  that  great 
multitudes  in  the  church  have  not  yet  learned  the  first 
principles  of  Christian  giving.  There  were,  in  1890, 
13,411,000^  members  of  Evangelical  Protestant  churches 
in  the  United  States.  The  accompanying  table  gives 
their  contributions  to  home  missions  '^  for  the  fiscal  year 
closing  in  1890.     . 

1  New  York  Independent,  July  31,1890.  The  religious  statistics  of  the  Elev- 
enth Census  are  not  yet  available,  but  as  those  of  the  Independent  and  of 
the  Census  were  compiled  by  the  same  authority,  Rev.  H.  K.  Carroll,  D.  D., 
the  former,  which  are  used  in  this  division,  are  presumably  reliable. 

*  In  "  home  missions  "  are  included  in  this  instance  the  ordinary  domestic 
missions,  mission  church  building,  work  among  the  ^Mormons,  New  Mexi- 
cans, colored  people,  Indians  and  Chinese  in  the  United  States  and  the  work 
of  the  missionary  department  of  the  denominational  publishing  societies. 
Of  course  city  missions  are  "  home  missions,"  but  the  city  missionary  work 
of  local  churches  is  not  included  because  it  is  impossible  to  get  anything 
more  than  fragmentary  statistics  concerning  it. 

The  accompanying  table  includes  only  11,889,427  of  the  evangelical  church 
membership  in  the  United  States  in  1890.  But  the  remainder  is  made  up  of 
colored  people  (600,000)  and  foreigners  who  give  very  little  to  missions,  and 


246  MONEY    AXD   THE    K IXC  DOM. 

Of  course  a  great  deal  of  iiione}^  was  given  to  various 
lionevolences  of  which  there  could  be  no  record,  but 
$6,717,000  represents  approximately  what  was  given 
tlirough  the  regular  denominational  channels  for  home 
missions,  which  is  an  average  of  fifty-six  cents  per 
member.  If,  however,  we  include  the  several  hinidred 
thousand  church  members  whose  denominations  report 
no  home  missionary  contributions,  and  bear  in  mind  that 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  above  sum  was  given 
by  church-goers  who  were  not  church-members  and  that 
another  large  portion  was  made  up  of  legacies— the  gifts 
of  the  dead — we  may  fairlj-  say  that  the  home  mission- 
ary contributions  of  the  evangelical  church-membership 
in  181)0  did  not  average  more  than  fifty  cents  per  caput.  ^ 
But  many  thousands  give  a  dollar  each,  which  means 
that  as  man}'  thousands  more  give  nothing.  There  are 
some  thousands  who  give  ten  dollars;  and  for  eveiy 
thousand  of  tliis  class  there  are  nineteen  thousand  who 
do  not  give  anything.  Dr.  Cuyler  says  he  once  had  a 
seamstress  in  his  church  Avho  used  to  give  a  hundred 
dollars  a  year  to  missions.  Not  a  few  out  of  larger 
means,  give  as  nmch ;  and,  for  everj'  one  of  them,  there 
are  one  hundred  and  ninety-nine  who  give  nothing. 
Home  give  five  thousand  dollars;  and  for  each  of  them 
there  are  ten  thousand  church-members  who  do  not  give 
one  cent  to  redeem  this  land  for  which  He,  with  whom 
they  profess  to  be  in  sympathy,  gave  His  life.  There  are 
hundreds  of  churches  that  do  not  give  anything  to  home 
oi-  foreign  missions;  and  of  those  that  do  many  members 
give  nf)tbing.  A  church  in  Hartford  gave  eleven  hun- 
dred dollars  to  home  missions.  One  lady  said  to 
another:  "  Didn't  we  do  well  this  morning?"  "No;  not 
as  a  church,"  was  the  reply;  "for  one  lady  gave  six 


of  small  denominations  which,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  have  no  regular  denoni- 
itmtlonal  channels  throiiph  which  they  gi^'e  to  home  nii.ssionary  ohject.s.  If 
tlie  K'fts  of  the.se  denominations  to  missions  could  be  ascertained,  they 
would  not  very  materially  change  our  total. 

I  This  is  a  decided  advance  on  ten  years  before,  when  home  and  foreign 
missions  together  received  only  about  fifty  cents  for  each  ehua-h-nieniber. 


CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  HOME  MISSIONS  IN  1890. 


Average 

Membership. 

Contribution. 

per 
caput. 

Congregational, 

491,985 

$1,305,507.55 

$2.77 

Presbyterian— North, 

753,749 

1,137,205.80 

l.,50 

Protestant  Episcopal, 

470,070 

657,018.31 

1.39 

Moravian, 

11, .358 

15,594.15 

1.37 

Evangelical  Association, 

145,703 

183,330.38 

1.25 

United  Presbyterian, 

101,858 

111,644.40 

1.09 

Primitive  Methodist, 

5,502 

5,453.01 

.99 

Baptist— North, 

780,000 

033,267.74 

.81 

Reformed  (Dutch), 

88,8ia 

66,128.66 

.78 

Wesleyan  Methodist, 

18,000 

12,000.  (Estimated) 

.66 

Reformed  Presbyterian, 

6,800 

3,786.78 

.55 

Seventh-Day  Baptist, 

9,000 

4,857.29 

.53 

Presbyterian— South, 

161,743 

74,003.96 

.45 

Methodist  Epis.— North, 

2,236,403 

891,850. 

.39 

Disciple, 

750,000 

210,279.44 

.28 

Reformed  (German), 

194,044 

45,000.  (Estimated) 

.23 

Lutheran, 

1,188,876 

208,358.02 

.22 

Baptist— South, 

1,100,000 

244,334.20 

.22 

Methodist  Epis.— South, 

1,161,660 

245,836.37 

.21 

United  Brethren, 

199.709 

38,053.29 

.19 

Cumberland  Presbyterian, 

160,185 

27,210.39 

.16 

Free-Will  Baptist, 

86,297 

13,073.88 

.15 

Methodist  Protestant, 

147,604 

11,842. 

.08 

Free  Methodist, 

19,998 

1,525.70 

.07 

Baptist— Colored, 

1,200,000 

40,432.47 

.03 

African  Meth.  Epis. 

400,000 

9,000.  (Estimated) 

.02 

American  Bible  Soc. 

173,640.  (Estimated) 

American  S.  S.  Union, 

86,326.94 

American  Tract  Soc. 

93,673.90 

Massachusetts  Bible  Soc. 

24,310.74 

Seaman's  Friend  Soc. 

15,500.  [Estimated] 

Western  Tract  Soc. 

9,000.  [Estimated] 

11,8S9.427 

$6,717,558.03 

..56 

247 


248  MONEY    AND    THE    KINGDOM. 

hundred  dollars  and  one  gentleman  gave  three  hundred." 
If  church  collections  Avere  analyzed,  it  would  appear 
that,  as  a  rule,  by  far  the  greater  part  is  given  by  a  very 
few  persons,  and  they  not  the  most  able.  The  great 
majority  of  church-members  give  only  a  trifle  or  nothing 
at  all  for  the  work  of  missions. 

During  the  year  1889-90  contributions  in  the  United 
States  for  foreign  missions  were  $3,977,701.'  A  total  of 
$10,695,259  for  home  and  foreign  missions  sounds  like  a 
large  sum.  But  great  and  small  are  relative  terms. 
Compared  with  the  need  of  the  world  and  the  ability  of 
the  church  it  is  pitiable  indeed.  Look  at  that  ability. 
The  Christian  religion,  by  rendering  men  tempei-ate,  in- 
dustrious, and  moral,  makes  them  prosperous.  There 
are  but  few  of  the  very  poor  in  our  churches.  The  great 
question  has  come  to  be:  "How  can  we  reach  the 
masses  ? "  Chui-ch-membership  is  made  up  chiefly  of 
the  well-to-do  and  the  rich.^  On  the  other  hand,  a 
majority  of  the  membership  is  composed  of  women, 
who  control  less  money  than  men.  It  is.  therefore,  fair 
to  say  that  the  church-member  is  at  least  as  well  off  as 
the  average  citizen.  In  1890,  one  in  every  4.7  of  the 
population  was  a  member  of  some  evangelical  church, 
that  is,  21.92  per  cent,  of  all  tlie  people.  We  may 
reasonably  infer,  then,  that  this  percentage  of  the 
wealth  of  the  United  States,  or  ^13,07(5,300,000  was  in 
the  hands  of  evangelical  church-members  at  that  time; 
and  this  takes  no  account  of  the  immense  capital  in 
l)rains  and  muscles.  Of  this  great  wealtli  one  tliirtysec- 
ond  part  of  one  per  cent,  or  one  dollar  out  of  3.287,  was 
given  in  1890  to  foreign  missions  for  the  salvation  of 
seven  or  eight  hundred  million  heathen.  "We  do  not 
know  what  the  income  of  our  church-members  is.  but  if 
in  1890  they  had  spent  every  cent  of  wages,  salary  and 


>..\lmanac  of  the  American  Board  for  1891,  p.  .S."). 

*  The  Century  says  Hint,  of  tlie  fifty  lendinj;  liiisincss  men  of  Columbia, 
Oliio,  and  Sprinfcfleld,  Ma.ss.  (if  we  are  not  mistaken  in  liie  unnamed  cities), 
four-flftlis  are  attendants  upon  the  cliuroiies  and  supporters  of  ihem,  while 
three-fifths  are  communicants. 


MONEY   AND   THE    KINGDOM.  249 

othei-  income  on  themselves  and  had  given  to  home  and 
foreign  missions  only  one  one-hundredth  part  of  their  real 
and  personal  property  (which  would  have  been  unspeak- 
ably mean  and  unchristian)  their  contribution  would 
have  been  $130,763,000  instead  of  $10,695,259.  For  the 
one  item  of  uncut  jewels,  largely  consisting  of  dia- 
monds, the  people  of  the  United  States  in  1888  paid 
$10,000,000;  and  in  1880,  church-members  paid  out  nearly 
six  times  as  much  for  sugar  and  molasses  as  for  the 
world's  salvation,  seven  times  as  much  for  boots  and 
shoes,  sixteen  times  as  much  for  cotton  and  Avoolen 
goods,  eleven  times  as  much  for  meat,  and  eighteen 
times  as  much  for  bread.  From  1880  to  1890  the  aver- 
age annual  increase  of  the  wealth  of  church -members  was 
$434,790,000.  And  this,  remember,  was  over  and  above 
all  expense  of  living  and  all  benevolences !  That  is,  the 
average  annual  increase  of  wealth  in  the  hands  of  pro- 
fessed Christians  was  forty  times  greater  than  their 
offering  to  missions,  home  and  foreign.  How  that  offer- 
ing looks,  when  compared  with  their  wealth  and  its 
annual  increase,  may  be  seen  on  the  opposite  page. 

If  the  members  of  our  Sunday-schools  in  America, 
gave,  each,  one  cent  a  Sabbath  to  missions,  it  would 
aggregate  about  one-half  as  much  as  is  now  secured, 
with  endless  Avriting  and  pleading  and  praying,  from 
our  entire  chui'ch-membership.  If  each  of  these  pro- 
fessed Christians  gave  five  cents— the  price  of  one  cigar 
—once  a  week,  it  would  amount  in  a  year  to  $35,000,000. 
If  each  gave  one  cent  every  day  to  that  which  he  pi'O- 
fesses  is  the  object  of  his  life — the  building  of  the  King- 
dom—it would  amount  to  $49,202,000. 

Immense  sums  are  invested  freely  if  there  is  only  a 
chance  of  large  dividends.  The  Times  of  India  says 
that  "nearly  $25,000,000  have  been  invested  in  search 
for  gold  in  India,  and  that  not  $2, 500  worth  of  the 
precious  metal  has  been  obtained  after  three  years  of 
labor."  Christians  have  opportunities  to  invest,  and 
with  perfect  security,  where  they  will  realize  thirty, 
sixty,  a  hundred-fold  —that  is  three  thousand,  six  thou- 


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250 


MONEY   AND   THE   KINGDOM.  251 

sand,  ten  thousand  per  cent. — yet  how  few  and  small  the 
investments ! 

Seventy  business  men  of  New  York  subscribed  $1,400,- 
000,  or  $20,000  each,  towards  the  Metropolitan  Opera 
House  in  that  city,  which  was  completed  a  few  years 
ago ;  and  this  without  receiving  or  expecting  pecuniary 
return.  Where  are  the.  seventy  men  avIio  will  give  one- 
half  that  amount  to  home  missions?  Is  the  love  of 
Italian  opera  a  more  powerful  motive  than  love  of  coun- 
try, love  of  souls,  and  love  of  Christ? 

It  is  estimated  ^  that  in  1889  the  liquor  bill  of  the  na- 
tion was  $1,000,000,000.  As  comparatively  few  women 
and  children  use  intoxicating  drinks,  and  many  men  do 
not,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  this  bill  was  paid  by  one  quar- 
ter or  one  fifth  of  the  population.  That  is,  in  1890, 
about  13,000,000  people  paid  $1,000,000,000  for  liquors, 
and  a  like  number  of  professed  Christians  gave  $10,695,- 
000  for  missions.  Any  one  that  did  not  know  better 
might  naturally  infer  that  the  one  class  loves  beer  and 
whiskey  better  than  the  other  loves  souls. 

A  while  ago  a  brutal  prize-fighter  got  a  purse  of  $12,- 
000  for  pounding  an  opponent  into  pulp.  Money  can  be 
had  in  abundance  for  illegitimate  uses,  but  a  thousand 
interests,  dear  to  the  Master  as  the  apple  of  his  eye, 
must  languish  for  the  lack  of  funds.  We  have  seen  that 
there  is  no  lack  of  wealth ;  there  is  money  enough  in  the 
hands  of  church-members  to  sow  every  acre  of  the  earth 
with  the  seed  of  truth ;  but  the  average  Christian  deems 
himself  a  despot  over  his  purse.  God  has  intrusted  to 
his  children  power  enough  to  give  the  gospel  to  every 
creature  by  the  close  of  this  century;  but  it  is  being 
misapplied.  Indeed,  the  world  would  have  been  evan- 
gelized long  ago,  if  Christians  had  perceived  the  relations 
of  money  to  the  Kingdom,  and  had  accepted  their 
stewardship.  There  has  been  too  much  of  the  spirit  of 
an  Ohio  church  treasurer  (a  professed  Christian),  who, 
when  his  pastor  brought  his  annual  contribution  to  the 

■  Cyclopedia  of  Temperance  and  Prohibition.  Funk  and  Wagnalls,  1891. 


252  MUXKV    AND    Tin:    KIN(iDOM. 

Aiuericau  Board,  said  to  him:  "  You  ought  not  to  do  it. 
I  don't  think  its  right.  You  ought  to  stop  giving  to 
missions  and  preach  for  us  on  a  smaller  salary  " ;  add- 
ing, in  conclusion,  "  We  are  heathen."  A  proposition 
wliich  few  enlightened  men  would  be  disposed  to  con- 
trovert, though  it  is  a  hard  rub  on  the  heathen. 

When  the  lieathen  come  to  the  light,  they  are  much 
more  Christian  in  their  conceptions  of  duty  and  privi- 
lege, and  shame  us  by  their  giving.  Six  native  Chris- 
tians, living  on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  whose  prop- 
erty averaged,  perhaps,  eight  hundred  dollars,  gave  to- 
ward their  chapel  and  school-room  three  hundred  and 
eight  dollars,  an  average  of  more  than  fifty  dollars  each. 
"This  contribution,"  adds  the  missionary,  "means  for 
one  of  those  poor  mountaineers  more  than  one  thousand 
(lays  work/'  "It  is  an  amazing  circumstance  that,  in 
18S1,  the  1.200  church-members  belonging  to  the  mis- 
sions of  the  United  Presbyterian  Board,  in  Egypt— most 
of  them  very  ]ioor  men  and  women— raised  i'4,r)46,  or 
more  than  ^17  each,  for  the  support  of  chin-ches  and 
schools.  The  Baptists,  among  the  Karens,  have  done 
equally  well."  >  Yes;  that  is  amazing;  but  it  is  far 
more  amazing  that  Christians  in  rich  America  should 
give  oidy  fifty  cents  each  to  home  missions.  If  we  gave 
as  much  i)er  caput  to  home  and  foreign  missions  as  they 
gave  for  churches  and  schools,  our  offering  would  be 
$24 1,000, 000,  instead  of  ^10,095,000. 

Is  it  not  evident  that  most  of  our  church -members 
have  failed  to  learn  the  first  principles  of  Christian  giv- 
ing? And  many  who  give  most  largely  do  not  seem  to 
have  grasped  fully  the  idea  of  stewardship,  and  lo  hold 
themselves  under  obligations  to  use  every  dollar  in  \ho 
way  that  will  most  honor  God.  A  wealthy  clergy- 
man (I),  who  was  a  nnmificent  giver,  siiw,  in  Paris,  a 
pin  that  struck  his  fancy,  and  gave  $800  for  it.  If.  in 
the  wide  world  that  was  the  highest  use  he  could  (ind 
for  the  money,  it  was  his  duty  to  spend  it  ;is  lie  did. 

1  JoKeph  C«)ok,   Oi-fitlent,  p.  125. 


MONEY    AND   THE    KINGDOM.  253 

Many  give  largely,  and  spend  as  lavishly  on  themselves ; 
nor  is  it  strange,  in  view  of  the  instructions  often  given. 
A  pastor,  whose  fame  is  in  all  the  churches,  and  justly, 
writes:  "I  say  not,  indeed,  that  it  is  wrong  for  a  man 
to  take  such  a  position  in  society  as  his  riches  warrant 
him  to  assume,  or  that  there  is  sin  in  spending  money 
on  our  residences,  or  in  siii'rounding  ourselves  with  the 
treasures  of  human  wisdom  in  books,  or  the  triumphs  of 
human  art  in  pictures  and  statuary ;  but  I  do  say  that 
our  gifts  to  the  cause  of  God  ought  to  be  at  least  abreast 
of  our  expenditure  for  these  other  things."  And  a 
worthy  secretary  of  one  of  our  most  honored  benevolent 
societies  said :  "  He  shall  see  the  travail  of  his  soul  and 
be  satisfied— When?  Not  till  beneficence  keeps  pace  with 
luxury.'"  Will  that  satisfy  Him  who  conmiended  her 
that  cast  into  the  treasury  all  her  living,  who  requires 
of  his  folloAvers  daily  cross-bearing,  and  admits  no  one 
to  discipleship  who  has  not  forsaken  "  all  that  he  hath  "? 
Is  the  Master  satisfied  when  a  rich  man  to  gratify  ' '  a 
nice  and  curious  palate,"  spends  ten  thousand  a  3^ ear  on 
his  table,  provided  only  beneficence  keeps  pace  with  his 
luxury,  and  he  gives  as  much  more  to  missions?  Or,  is 
it  untrue  that  God  requires  every  one  to  make  the  wis- 
est and  the  best  use  of  all  his  money? 

Many  churches  are  never  taught  that  the  conseci-ation 
of  all  our  property  to  God  is  no  more  optional  than  the 
practice  of  justice  or  chastity  or  any  other  duty.  Most 
Christians  leave  their  giving  to  mere  impulse ;  they  give 
something  or  nothing,  much  or  little,  as  they  feel  like  it. 
They  might  as  well  attempt  to  live  a  Christian  life  and 
be  honest  or  not  as  they  felt  like  it.  The  churches  are 
not  adequately  instructed  as  to  this  duty.  They  hear 
too  often  of  the  "  Lord's  share."  The  reformation  must 
begin  with  the  pulpit.  While  I  would  not  seem  censo- 
rious of  my  brethren,  it  must  nevertheless  be  said  that 
too  many  ministers  have  not  laid  hold  of  this  truth,  or, 
at  least,  it  has  not  laid  hold  of  them. 

No,  there  is  no  lack  of  wealth  in  the  churches,  even  in 
hard  times.     When  the  rod  of  conviction  and  consecra- 


254  MOXKY    AND   TllL    Kl.NCJDOM. 

tion  smites  the  flinty  rock  of  selfishness,  it  will  break 
asunder  and  send  forth  abundant  streams  of  benufac;- 
tion,  which  shall  make  glad  the  waste  places  and  prove 
the  water  of  life  to  the  perishing  multitudes. 

ACCEPT.VNCE  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE   URGED. 

Having  defined  the  true  principle  of  Christian  giving, 
and  glanced  at  some  of  the  questions  of  casuistry  which 
spring  from  its  application,  and  having  shown  thnt  the 
C'luirch  does  not  act  on  it,  it  remains  to  present  briefly 
some  of  the  considerations  Avhich  urge  its  acceptance. 

1.  Duty.  It  is  common  to  urge  benevolence  by  ap- 
pealing to  the  hope  of  larger  returns,  which  are  assured 
by  many  promises  of  the  Word.  And  such  motives 
Avere  needed  in  the  childhood  of  the  race ;  but  with  all 
our  light  they  should  not  be  needed  now.  Did  not 
Christ  place  giving  on  a  higher  plane?  He  said,  "It  is 
more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,"  not  because  of  the 
rv.'turn;  but  because  giving  is  more  God-like.  Men  urge 
benevolence  as  an  investment.  It  is  true  that  the  stew- 
ard whom  God  finds  faithful,  he  is  very  apt  to  honor 
with  a  larger  trust;  but  this  should  not  be  the  motive  of 
giving.  We  should  "do  good,  and  lend,  hoping  for 
nothing  again."  It  is  true  that  honesty  is  the  best  pol- 
icy; but  if  this  be  the  motive  of  honest  dealing,  there  is 
no  real  honesty.  So  when  men  give  because  they  expect 
a  larger  return,  there  is  no  real  giving.  In  the  region  of 
right  and  wrong  we  may  not  ask  what  is  ])olitic;  we 
stand  under  the  scepter  of  the  absolute  Oiiglif,  which 
does  not  reason  or  advise  or  plead,  but  simply  says, 
Thou  shalt.  Whether  or  not  wo  have  learned  tliat  only 
that  which  we  give  is  truly  and  forever  ours,  the  duty 
to  give  remains  the  same.  The  fact  that  God  requires 
the  entire  consecration  of  all  our  substance,  ought, 
alone,  to  be  suflicient  to  move  us;  but  there  are  other 
considerations. 

2.  The  .spiritM.il  life  and  i)(.w<'r  of  Dm-  clmn-hes  de- 
mand the  acceptance  of  the  true  doctrine  touching  ])os- 
setjsions.     We  talk  about   "our  cros.ses."    There  is  no 


MONEY    AND    THE    KINGDOM.  ^55 

such  expression  in  the  Bible.  Tlie  word  does  not  occur 
there  in  the  phiral.  It  has  been  belittled ;  it  has  come  to 
mean  trial,  disagreeable  duty,  anything  which  crosses 
our  inclination;  but  its  meaning  in  the  Scriptures  is 
never  so  meager  as  that.  There  it  always  means  cruci- 
fixion; like  the  word  gallows,  in  modern  speech,  it 
means  death.  To  take  one's  cross  means,  in  the  Bible, 
to  start  for  the  place  of  execution.  "If  any  man  will 
come  after  me,  let  him  take  up  his  cross  and  folloio  me.''' 
Follow  him  where?  To  Golgotha.  He  in  whose  experi- 
ence there  is  no  Calvary  where  he  himself  has  been  cru- 
cified with  Christ,  knows  little  of  Christian  discipleship. 
Christ  demands  actual  self-abnegation;  but  where  the 
Christian  name  is  honored,  and  its  profession  confers 
obvious  advantages,  self-deception  is  common  and  Chris- 
tian experience  is  liable  to  be  shallow.  As  quaint  old 
Rutherford  said :  ' '  Men  get  Christ  for  the  half  of  noth- 
ing— such  maketh  loose  work."  Too  many  church-mem- 
bers know  little  or  nothing  of  self -surrender ;  hence  the 
lack  of  spiritual  life  and  power.  At  such  times  the 
Church  suffers  for  the  want  of  some  decisive  test,  the  ap- 
plication of  which  will  show  men  to  themselves,  and 
separate,  with  a  good  degree  of  accuracy,  those  who 
have  been  crucified  with  Christ  from  those  who  know 
not  what  it  is  to  "  take  up  the  cross." 

In  a  commercial  age.  and  especially  in  a  luxurious 
civilization,  the  form  of  worldliness  to  which  the  Church 
is  most  likely  to  be  tempted  is  the  love  of  money.  As 
the  means  of  almost  every  possible  self-gratification  it 
becomes  the  representative  of  self;  hence  the  true  prin- 
ciple of  Christian  giving,  the  actual  surrender  of  all 
substance  to  God,  is  exactly  the  test  for  the  application 
of  which  the  Church  is  suffering  to-day.  If  this  test 
were  applied  now  to  every  church-member  as  Christ  ap- 
plied it  to  the  young  ruler  (and  the  need  is  the  same, 
for  the  human  heart  is  the  same,  and  heaven  and  the  con- 
ditions of  entrance  are  the  same) ,  would  not  the  record 
in  many  a  case  be,  ' '  and  he  went  away  sorrowful,  for  he 
had  great  possessions  "  ? 


256  MONEY    AND    TllK    KINGDOM. 

What  right  has  any  one,  who  has  liglit  on  tliis  subject, 
to  believe  he  has  given  himself  to  God,  if  he  has  not 
given  his  possessions?  If  he  has  kept  baek  the  less, 
what  reason  is  there  to  think  he  has  given  the  greater? 
As  Jeremy  Taylor  says:  ^  "He  never  loved  God  who 
will  quit  anything  of  his  religion  to  save  his  money." 

Is  not  much  that  the  Master  said  concerning  posses- 
sions a  dead  letter  in  the  church  to-day?  "  Lay  not  up 
for  yourselves  treasia-es  upon  earth."  Is  not  that 
exactly  what  many  in  the  church  are  doing,  and  many 
more  striving  with  eager  energy  to  do?  "The  deceitful- 
ness  of  riches."  How  many  are  afraid  of  being  deceived 
by  them?  How  many  refuse  to  run  the  risk?  "How 
hardly  shall  they  that  have  riches  enter  into  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven."  How  many  are  unwilling  to  become 
rich  or  richer?  Multitudes  now  complain  that  they  have 
so  little  who,  on  the  great  day  of  accounts,  will  mourn 
that  they  had  so  much.  The  Word  declares  covetous- 
ne-ss  to  be  idolatry:  but  how  many  church-members 
were  ever  disciplined  for  this  idolatry?  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  sign  of  the  millojinium  down  in  Maine,  where,  a 
few  years  ago,  a  church  disciplined  five  membei's  because 
they  would  give  nothing.  The  spiritual  life  and  power 
of  the  Church  can  vitalize  and  save  the  world  only  when 
there  is  a  spirit  of  consecration  .sufficiently  deep  and  in- 
clusive to  accept  the  true  principle  of  Christian  giving. 

3.  Again,  our  safety  from  the  perils  which  have  been 
discussed  demands  the  acceptance  of  this  principle. 

It  is  not  urged  as  a  panacea;  specific  remedies,  which 
there  is  no  space  to  discuss,  must  be  applied;  reform 
must  be  pressed;  we  need  patriotic  and  wise  legislation, 
and  to  this  end  fewer  politicians  and  more  statesmen; 
but  statesmanship  cannot  save  the  country.  Christ's  re- 
fusal to  be  made  a  king,  and  his  rejection  of  Satan's 
offer  of  the  woild's  scepter,  ought  to  teach  those  who 
seek  to  save  the  world  that  moral  means  are  necessary 
to  moral  ends.     Christ  .saw  that  the  world  coidd  not  b<» 

>  Holy  Living,  p  IS-J. 


MONEY    AND   THE    KINGDOM.  257 

saved  by  legislation,  that  only  by  his  being  "Hfted  up" 
could  all  men  be  drawn  unto  hmi.  He  saAV  that  he  could 
not  save  the  world  without  sacrificing  for  it;  no  more 
can  we.  The  saving  power  of  the  Church  is  its  sacrific- 
ing power. 

The  gospel  is  the  radical  cure  of  the  world's  great  evils, 
and  its  promulgation,  like  its  spirit,  requires  sacrifice. 
Money  is  the  sinews  of  spiritual  warfare  as  Avell  as  carnal, 
and  a  sufficient  amount  of  it  would  enable  us  to  meet 
these  perils  with  the  gospel. 

Christianize  the  immigrant  and  he  will  be  easily 
Americanized.  Christianity  is  the  solvent  of  all  race 
antipathies.  Give  the  Romanist  a  pure  gospel  and  he 
will  cease  to  be  a  Romanist.  It  has  already  been  shown 
that  Christian  education  will  solve  the  Mormon  problem. 
The  temperance  reform,  like  all  others  which  depend  on 
popular  agitation,  must  have  money,  and  is  being  re- 
tarded by  the  lack  of  it.  Concerning  the  remedy  for  so- 
cialism, accept  the  opinion  of  an  economist  who  has 
made  it  a  subject  of  special  study.  Says  Prof.  Ely :  "  It 
is  an  undoubted  fact  that  modern  socialism  of  the  worst 
type  is  spreading  to  an  alarming  extent  among  our  labor- 
ing classes,  both  foreign  and  native.  I  think  the  danger 
is  of  such  a  character  as  should  arouse  the  Christian 
people  of  this  country  to  most  earnest  efforts  for  the 
evangelization  of  the  poorer  classes,  particularly  in  large 
cities.  What  is  needed  is  Christianity,  and  the  Chris- 
tian Church  can  do  far  more  than  political  economists  to- 
ward a  reconciliation  of  social  classes.  The  Church's 
remedy  for  social  discontent  and  dynamite  bombs  is 
Christianity  as  taught  in  the  New  Testament.  Now  in 
all  this  you  will  find  nothing  new.  It  is  only  significant 
in  this  regard:  others  have  come  to  these  conclusions 
from  the  study  of  the  Bible ;  from  a  totally  different 
starting  point,  from  the  study  of  political  economy,  I 
have  come  to  the  same  goal."  ^ 

1  From  a  letter  by  Prof.  R.  T.  Ely  to  Rev.  H.  A.  Schauffler,  D.  D.  I  regret 
that  lack  of  space  forbids  my  quoting  the  entire  letter,  which  may  be 
found  in  The  Home  Mlssionanj  for  October,  18S4,  p,  237. 


258  MONEY    AXD    THE    KIXGDOM. 

But  tlie  acceptance  of  the  Christian  doctrine  concern- 
ing jn-operty  would  have  a  direct,  as  well  as  indirect, 
influence  on  socialism.  Let  us  therefore  dwell  a  mo- 
ment on  the  subject.  In  the  popular  ferment,  a  hundi-ed 
years  ago,  which  culminated  in  the  French  Revolution, 
the  demand  was  for  equal  rights  and  the  watchword 
was  Liberty.  There  is  a  popular  ferment  throughout 
Europe  to-day  which  is  more  universal  and  extends  to 
the  United  States.  The  popular  demand  now  is  equality 
of  condition,  and  the  watchword  is  Property— a  cry  the 
meaning  of  wliich  the  dullest  and  most  earthly  can  un- 
derstand. This  movement,  which  is  steadily  gathering 
force,  results  from  the  two  most  striking  facts  of  the 
nineteenth  century :  first,  the  general  diffusion  of  knowl- 
edge through  the  press,  which  has  wonderfully  multi- 
plied wants  up  and  down  the  entire  social  scale;  and, 
second,  the  creation  of  iimiiense  wealth  by  means  of  the 
steam  engine.  But  this  wealth,  which  is  necessary  to 
the  satisfaction  of  these  wants,  has  been  massed.  In  a 
word,  the  difficulty  is  knoicledge  multiplied  and  [mpular- 
ized,  and  ^cealfh  multiplied  and  centralized. 

The  right  distribution  of  property,  which  is  the  kernel 
of  the  social  question,  is  the  great  problem  of  our  civili- 
zation; and  it  may  well  be  doubted  whether  the  true 
solution  will  be  found  until  the  Church  accepts,  both  in 
doctrine  and  practice,  the  teachings  of  God's  Word 
touching  possessions.  For  the  Church  is  responsible  for 
public  opinion  on  all  moral  questions,  and  no  great  ques^ 
tion  of  rights  can  be  settled  for  the  world  until  Christian 
men  come  into  right  relations  with  it. 

The  inexorable  law  of  our  present  industrial  system  is 
that  the  cost  of  subsistence  diterminos  the  rate  of 
wages.  This  makes  no  provision  for  the  higher  wants  of 
increasing  intelligence,  and  therefore  insures  an  increas- 
ing popular  (li.=;c<)ntcnt.  It  would  seem  that  the  solution 
of  the  great  difficulties  between  capital  and  labor  must 
be  found  in  some  form  of  co-oj^e ration  by  which  the 
workman  will  be  admitted  to  a  just  share  in  tlie  profits 
of  his  hibor.     Professor  Cairns,  who  is  considered  one  of 


MONEY    AND   THE    KINGDOM.  259 

the  greatest  economists  England  has  produced,  behoves 
that  co-operative  production  affoi-ds  the  laboring  classes 
' '  the  sole  means  of  escape  from  a  harsh  and  hopeless 
destiny  "("Leading  Principles,"  p.  338).  Referring  to 
several  thousand  co-operative  societies  in  England,  hav- 
ing some  millions  of  capital,  Thomas  Hughes  says :  ' '  I 
still  look  to  this  movement  as  the  best  hope  for  England 
and  other  lands."  The  eminent  statistician,  Carroll  D. 
Wright,  Commissioner  of  the  Department  of  Labor, 
Washington,  referring  to  the  duty  of  the  rich  manufact- 
urer to  regard  himself  as  "an  instrument  of  God  for 
the  upbuilding  of  the  race,"  and  the  promotion  of  the 
highest  welfare  of  those  in  his  employ,  says:  "  This  may 
sound  like  sentiment.  I  am  willing  to  call  it  sentiment; 
but  I  know  it  means  the  best  material  prosperity,  and 
that  every  employer  who  has  been  guided  by  such  senti- 
ments has  been  rewarded  twofold :  first,  in  witnessing 
the  wonderful  improvement  of  his  people,  and,  second, 
in  seeing  his  dividends  increase,  and  the  wages  of  his 
operatives  increase  with  his  dividends.  The  factory 
system  of  the  future  will  be  run  on  this  basis.  The  in- 
stances of  such  are  multiplying  rapidly  now."^  Mani- 
festly, the  acceptance  on  the  part  of  Christian  capitalists 
of  the  scriptural  doctrine  of  possessions  would  greatly 
facilitate  the  introduction  of  co-operation  or  any  other 
plan  which  promised  justice  to  the  workman. 

The  Christian  man  who  is  not  willing  to  make  the 
largest  profits  which  an  honest  regard  for  the  laws  of 
trade  permits  is  a  rare  man.  But  the  laws  of  trade  per- 
mit much  that  the  laws  of  God  do  not  permit.  Many 
transactions  are  commercially  honest  which  are  not 
righteous.  If,  now,  a  man  accepts  the  truth  that  his 
possessions  are  a  trust  to  be  administered  for  God's 
glory,  he  will  not  consent  to  increase  them  by  any  un- 
righteous means.  And  since  justice  and  righteousness, 
like  honesty,  will  prove  to  be  the  best  policy,  the  accept- 


•    For   a  history   of  profit-sharing  see  Gilman's  Profit-Sharing  Between 
Employer  and  Employee,  1889. 


260  MONKV    AND    Till:    KlNCiDOM. 

ance  on  the  part  of  Christian  men  of  a  thoroughly 
righteous  plan  of  co-operation  between  capital  and  labor 
would  eventually  compel  its  general  acceptance.  Let 
Christian  men  gain  a  correct  conception  of  their  rela- 
tions to  their  possessions,  let  them  accept  the  duty  of 
Christian  stewardship,  and  it  -would  command  their 
getting  as  well  as  their  spending.  There  would  be  no 
motive  to  drive  a  sharp  bargain.  It  would  purify 
trade.  It  would  mediate  between  capital  and  labor.  It 
would  destroy  the  foundation  on  which  the  rising  struc- 
ture of  socialism  rests.  It  would  cut  one  of  the  principal 
roots  of  popular  unbelief;  for  extended  inquiry  in  Cincin- 
nati elicited  the  almost  unanimous  response  that  the  rea- 
son workingmen  neglec-t  the  churches  is  that  there  are  on 
the  church  rolls  the  names  of  employers  who  wrong 
their  employees. 

Tlie  acceptance  of  the  true  principle  of  Christian  giv- 
ing is  urged  upon  us  by  the  fact  that  money  is  power, 
which  is  needed  everywhere  for  elevating  and  saving 
men.  It  is  further  urged  upon  us  by  the  fact  that  only 
such  a  view  of  possessions  will  save  us  from  the  great 
and  imminent  perils  of  wealth.  God  might  have  sent 
his  angels  to  sing  his  gospel  through  the  world,  or  he 
might  have  written  it  on  the  sky,  and  made  the  clouds 
his  messengers  ;■  but  we  need  to  bear  the  responsibility  of 
publishing  that  gospel.  He  might  make  the  safe  of 
every  benevolent  society  a  gold  mine  as  unfailing  a.s 
the  widow's  cruse  of  oil;  but  we  need  to  give  that  gold. 
The  tendency  of  liuman  nature,  intensified  by  our  com- 
mercial activity,  is  to  make  the  life  a  whirlpool— a  great 
maelstrom  which  draws  everything  into  itself.  What  is 
need(Hl  to-day  is  a  grand  reversal  of  the  movement,  a 
transformation  of  the  life  into  a  fountain.  And  in  an 
exceptional  degree  is  this  the  need  of  Anglo-Saxons. 
Their  strong  love  of  hberty,  and  their  accpiisitiveness, 
afford  a  powerful  temptation  to  offer  some  substitute  for 
self-abnegation.  We  would  call  no  man  master;  we 
must  take  Cln-ist  as  master.  We  would  possess  all 
tilings;  we  must  surrender  all  things. 


MOi^EY   AND   THE   KINGDOM.  261 

One  of  the  grave  problems  before  us  is  how  to  make 
great  material  prosperity  conduce  to  individual  advance- 
ment. The  severest  poverty  is  unfavorable  to  morality. 
Up  to  a  certain  point  increase  of  propei-ty  serves  to  ele- 
vate man  morally  and  intellectually,  while  it  improves 
him  physically.  But,  as  nations  grow  rich,  they  are 
prone  to  become  self-indulgent,  effeminate,  immoral. 
The  physical  nature  becomes  less  robust,  the  intellectual 
nature  less  vigorous,  the  moral  less  pure.  The  pam- 
pered civilizations  of  old  had  to  be  reinvigorated,  from 
time  to  time,  with  fresh  infusions  of  barbaric  blood — a 
remedy  no  longer  available.  If  we  cannot  find  in  Chris- 
tianity a  remedy  or  preventive,  our  Christian  civiliza- 
tion and  the  world  itself  is  a  failure ;  and  our  rapidly  in- 
creasing wealth,  like  the  "cankered  heaps  of  strange- 
achieved  gold,"  will  curse  us  unto  destruction. 

But  the  recognition  of  God's  ownership  in  all  our  sub- 
stance is  a  perfect  antidote  for  the  debilitating  and  cor- 
rupting influence  of  wealth.  It  prevents  self-indulgence, 
and  the  apprehension  of  religious  truth  implied  in  such 
recognition  affords  the  strongest  possible  motives  to  sac- 
rifice and  active  effort  of  which  men  are  capable.  A 
hundred  years  ago  poverty  compelled  men  to  endure 
hardness,  and  so  served  to  make  the  nation  great.  Now 
that  we  are  exposed  to  the  pampering  influence  of 
riches,  Christian  principle  must  inspire  the  spirit  of 
self-denial  for  Christ's  sake,  and  the  world's  sake,  and  so 
make  the  nation  greater. 

Where  that  spirit  obtains,  Mammonism  and  materi- 
alism, as  well  as  luxuriousness,  lose  their  power,  and 
wealth,  instead  of  being  centralized,  is  distributed.  So 
that  Christian  stewardship,  so  far  as  it  is  accepted, 
affords  perfect  protection  against  all  the  perils  of  wealth. 

Our  cities,  which  are  gathering  together  the  most  dan- 
gerous elements  of  our  civilization,  will,  in  due  time, 
unless  Christianized,  prove  the  destruction  of  our  free 
institutions.  During  the  last  hundred  years,  the  instru- 
ments of  destruction  have  been  wonderfully  multiplied. 
Offensive   weapons    have  become    immeasurably   more 


262  MO\i:V   AND  THE   kinouom. 

effective.  Not  so  the  means  of  defense.  Yoiiv  life  is  in 
the  hand  of  every  man  you  meet.  Society  is  safe  to-day 
only  so  far  as  every  man  becomes  a  law  unto  himself. 
Tlie  lawless  classes  are  growing  much  more  rapidly  than 
the  whole  population;  and  nothing  but  the  gospel  can 
transform  lawless   men  and  women  into  good   citizens. 

The  number  of  missionaries  in  our  cities  ought  to  be 
increased  ten  or  twenty-fold ;  and  their  work  is  expen- 
sive. It  is  usually  the  densest  populations  which  are 
most  neglected,  and  in  such  quarters  mission  chapels 
cannot  be  built  without  large  expenditures.  If  our  cities 
are  to  be  evangelized,  laymen  must  greatly  enlarge  their 
ideas  of  the  demands  of  the  work,  and  of  their  pecuniary 
responsibility  for  it. 

The  perils  which  have  been  discussed  (Chaps.  IV.— XI.) 
have,  all  of  them  with  the  single  exception  of  Mormon- 
ism,  continued  to  grow  more  rapidly  during  the  past 
five  years  than  the  whole  population.  It  is  also  true 
that  the  membership  of  the  evangelical  churches  has 
increased  more  rapidly  than  the  population.  The 
Church  of  Christ  has  aroused  herself  in  some  measure, 
but,  so  far  as  I  can  judge,  the  dangerous  and  destructive 
elements  of  society  are  still  niaking  greater  pri^gress 
than  the  conservative. 

Has  not  the  time  fully  come  when  the  Churcli  must 
make  a  new  departure  of  some  sort?  And  is  it  not  evi- 
dent that  one  of  the  first  needs  is  a  true  view  of  the 
relations  of  money  to  the  Kingdom,  and  such  a  spirit  of 
consecration  as  will  lay  it  and  all  else  on  the  altar? 

4.  We  have  seen,  in  the  preceding  chapters,  that  a 
mighty  emergency  is  xipon  us.  Our  coimtry's  future, 
and  much  of  the  Avorld's  future,  depend  on  the  way  in 
which  C'hristian  men  meet  the  crisis.  Do  you  say:  "I 
trust  in  God,  and  therefore  have  no  fear;  I  believe  what 
some  one  lias  said,  '  If  God  intends  to  save  tho  world,  ho 
cannot  afford  to  make  an  exception  of  AnuM-ica.'  This 
country  is  his  chosen  instrument  of  blessing  to  mankind; 
and  God's  jilans  never  fail?"  The  difference  between  a 
true  and  a  false  faith  is  that  on(^  insi)ir('S  action  while 


MONEY    ANJ)    THE    KIKGDOil.  2(>0 

the  other  paralyzes  it.  God  saved  the  nation  during 
the  War  of  the  RebeUion;  but  it  was  not  by  a  false  faith, 
which,  with  folded  arms,  rehearsed  its  confidence  in  the 
divine  decrees.  It  was  by  a  faith  which  inspired  sacri- 
fice. At  the  time  of  Paul's  shipwreck,  it  was  revealed 
to  him  that  they  were  all  to  be  saved ;  but,  nevertheless, 
there  were  conditions  with  which  they  must  comply,  or 
be  lost.  Their  salvation  was  certain,  but  not  necessary; 
it  was  conditioned.  I  believe  our  country  will  be  saved. 
Its  salvation  may  be  certain  in  the  counsels  of  God; 
but  it  is  not  necessary.  I  believe  it  to  be  conditioned  on 
the  Church's  rising  to  a  higher  spirit  of  sacrifice. 

When  the  drum  beat  the  nation  to  battle,  a  generation 
ago,  no  sacrifice  was  too  great;  wives  gave  their  hus- 
bands, parents  gave  their  sons.  A  Christian  mother 
had  sent  seven  sons  into  the  Union  army.  Near  the 
close  of  the  war,  the  eighth,  and  only  remaining  son, 
paid  a  visit  to  his  mother,  and,  speaking  of  the  war, 
said:  "Mother,  what  would  you  do  if  one  of  the  boys 
should  fall  in  the  struggle?"  Turning  her  deep  eyes 
upon  him,  she  said :  ' '  God  has  given  me  nine  noble  sons ; 
one  he  has  taken  to  himself,  seven  are  in  the  army,  and 
I  want  you  to  understand,  my  son,  that  I  only  hold  you 
as  a  reserve  for  your  country's  defense;  and  the  first 
breach  that  you  hear  of  as  being  made  in  our  number, 
go  quickly,  and  fill  it ;  and  may  God  take  care  of  you. 
and  I  will  take  care  of  your  children."  Is  it  easier  to 
give  one's  flesh  and  blood  than  to  give  silver  and  gold? 
We  are  engaged  in  what  Lord  Bacon  called  the  ' '  heroic 
work  of  making  a  nation ; "  for  which  heroic  sacrifices 
are  demanded. 

And  our  plea  is  not  America  for  America's  sake  ;  but 
America  for  the  world's  sake.  For,  if  this  generation  is 
faithful  to  its  trust,  America  is  to  become  God's  right 
arm  in  his  battle  with  the  world's  ignorance  and  oppres- 
sion and  sin.  If  I  were  a  Christian  African  or  Arab,  I 
should  look  into  the  immediate  future  of  the  United 
States  with  intense  and  thrilling  interest  ;  for  as  Pro- 
fessor Hoppin  of  Ynle  hassaid  :  "  America  Christianized 


364  MONEY    AND   THE   KINGDOM. 

means  the  7co)'ZrZ  Christianized."  And,  "If  America 
fail, "  says  Professor  Park,  "  the  icorkl  will  fail." 
During  this  crisis.  Christian  work  is  unspeakably  more 
important  in  the  United  States  than  anywhere  else  in  the 
world.  "The  nations  whose  conversion  is  the  most 
pressing  necessity  of  the  world  to-day,"  says  Professor 
Phelps,  "are  the  Occidental  nations.  Those  whose 
speedy  conversion  is  most  vital  to  the  conversion  of  the 
rest  are  the  nations  of  the  Occident.  The  pioneer  stock 
of  mind  must  be  the  Occidental  stock.  The  pioneer  races 
must  be  the  Western  races.  And  of  all  the  Western 
races,  who  that  can  read  skillfully  the  providence  of  God, 
or  can  read  it  at  all,  can  hesitate  in  affirming  that  the  signs 
of  divine  decree  point  to  this  land  of  ours  as  the  one 
which  is  fast  gathering  to  itself  the  races  which  must 
take  the  lead  in  the  final  conflicts  of  Christianity  for 
possession  of  the  world  ?  Ours  is  the  elect  nation  for  the 
age  to  come.  We  are  the  chosen  people.  We  cannot 
afford  to  w^ait.  The  plans  of  God  will  not  wait.  Those 
plans  seem  to  have  brought  us  to  one  of  the  closing  stages 
in  the  world's  career,  in  which  we  can  no  longer  drift 
with  safety  to  our  destiny.  We  are  shut  up  to  a  perilous 
alternative.  Immeasurable  opportunities  surround  and 
overshadow  us.  Such,  as  I  read  it,  is  the  central  fact  in 
the  philosophy  of  American  Home  Missions."^ 

What  a  consummate  blunder  to  live  selfishly  in  such  a 
generation  !  What  food  for  everlasting  reflection  and 
regret  in  a  life  lived  narrowly  amid  such  infinitely  wide 
opi)ortunities  ! 

Says  a  New  York  daily  paper  :  "A  gentleman  died  at 
his  residence  in  one  of  our  uptown  fashionable  streets, 
leaving  eleven  millions  of  dollars.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  in  excellent  standing,  a  good 
husband  and  father,  and  a  thrifty  citizen.  On  his  death- 
bed ho  suffered  with  great  agony  of  mind  and  gave 
continual  expression  to  his  remorse  for  what  his  con- 


Froin    letter   narl    :il   tin-    Home    Missionury    Aiuiiver.siiry    in  Cliieago, 
June  Olh,  1881. 


MONEY   AND   THE    KINGDOM.  265 

science  told  him  had  been  an  ill-spent  life.  '  Oh  ! '  he  ex- 
claimed, '  if  I  could  only  live  my  years  over  again  !  Oh  ! 
if  I  could  only  be  spared  for  a  few  years,  I  would  give  all 
the  wealth  I  have  amassed  in  a  life-time.  It  is  a  life 
devoted  to  money -getting  that  I  regret.  It  is  this  which 
weighs  me  down,  and  makes  me  despair  of  the  life  here- 
after.'"  Suppose  so  unfaithful  a  steward  is  permitted  to 
enter  the  "many  mansions."  When,  with  clarified  spirit- 
ual vision,  he  perceives  the  true  meaning  of  life,  and 
sees  that  he  has  lost  the  one  opportunity  of  an  endless 
existence  to  set  in  motion  influences,  which,  by  leading 
sinners  to  repentance,  would  cause  heaven  to  thrill  with 
a  new  joy,  it  seems  to  me  he  would  gladly  give  a  hvm- 
dred  years  of  Paradise  for  a  single  day  on  earth  in  posses- 
sion of  the  money  once  entrusted  to  him— time  enough  to 
turn  that  power  into  the  channels  of  Christian  work. 
The  emergency  created  by  the  settlement  of  the  states 
and  territories  of  the  West — a  grand  constellation  of 
empires — is  to  be  met  by  placing  in  the  hand  of  evei-y 
Christian  agency  there  at  work  all  the  power  that  money 
can  wield.  There  is  scarcely  a  church,  or  society,  or 
institution  of  any  kind  doing  God  service  there  which  is 
not  embarassed,  or  sadly  crippled  for  lack  of  funds.  Mis- 
sionaries should  be  multiplied,  parsonages  and  churches 
built,  and  colleges  generously  endowed.  The  nation's 
salt,  with  which  the  whole  land  and  pre-eminently  the 
tainted  civilization  of  the  frontier,  must  be  sweetened,  is 
Christian  education.  The  tendency,  which  is  so  marked 
in  many  of  our  older  and  larger  colleges,  to  develop 
and  furnish  simply  the  intellect,  is  full  of  peril.  Divorce 
religion  and  education,  and  we  shall  fall  a  prey  either 
to  bhindei-ing  goodness  or  well-schooled  villainy.  The 
young  colleges  of  the  West,  like  Di-ury,  Doane,  Carleton, 
Colorado,  Yankton,  Fargo,  and  others,  founded  by  broad- 
minded  and  far-seeing  men  are  characterized  by  a  strong 
religious  influence,  and  send  a  surprising  proportion  of 
their  graduates  into  the  ministry.  In  view  of  their 
almost  boundless  possibilities  for  usefulness  in  their 
relations  to  the  future  of  the  West  and  of  the  nation, 


5CG  MONEY    AXD   THE    KINGDOM. 

and  in  view  of  their  urgent  needs,  it  is  a  wonder  that 
those  who,  like  Boaz,  are  mighty  men  of  wealth,  can 
deny  themselves  the  deep  and  lasting  pleasure  of  liber- 
ally endowing  such  institutions.  Said  one  who  had  just 
given  fifty  thousand  dollars  to  a  Western  college:  "I 
cannot  tell  you  what  I  have  enjoyed.  It  is  like  being 
lH)rn  into  the  Kingdom  again." 

This  emergency  demands  the  acceptance  of  Christian 
stewardship,  that  our  great  benevolent  societies  may  be 
adequately  furnished  for  their  work.  They  are  kept 
constantl}'  on  their  knees  before  the  public,  and  with 
pleas  so  pitiful,  so  moving,  the  marvel  to  me  is  that, 
when  Christian  men  hold  their  peace  and  their  purse, 
the  very  stones  do  not  cry  out.  And,  notwithstanding 
all  their  efforts  to  secure  means,  they  must,  every  one, 
scrimp  at  every  point,  decline  providential  calls  to  en- 
large their  work,  and  even  retrench,  in  order  to  close 
the  fiscal  year  without  a  debt. 

The  door  of  opportunity  is  open  in  all  the  earth ;  organ- 
izations have  been  completed,  languages  learned,  the 
Scriptin-es  translated,  and  now  the  triumph  of  the  King- 
dom awaits  only  the  exercise  of  the  power  committed  to 
the  Church,  but  which  she  refuses  to  put  forth.  If  she 
is  to  keep  step  with  the  majestic  march  of  the  divine 
Providence,  the  Church  must  consecrate  the  power 
which  is  in  money. 

5.  Oh!  that  men  would  accept  the  testimony  of  Christ, 
touching  the  blessedness  of  giving!  He  who  sacrifices 
most,  loves  most;  and  he  who  loves  most,  is  most 
blessed.  Love  and  sacrifice  are  related  to  each  other 
like  seed  and  fniit;  each  produces  the  other.  The  seed 
of  sacrifice  brings  forth  the  fragrant  fruit  of  love,  and 
love  always  has  in  its  heart  the  seeds  of  new  sacrifice. 
He  who  gives  but  a  part  is  not  made  perfect  in  love. 
L<jve  rejoi<"es  to  give  all;  it  does  not  mea.sure  its  sacri- 
fice. It  was  Judas,  not  Maiy,  who  calculateil  the  valiK^ 
of  the  alabaster  box  of  ointment.  He  who  is  infinitely 
hlessed  is  the  Infinite  Giver;  and  man,  made  in  liis  like- 
ness, was  intcntlcd  (o  find  liis  bigln'st  blcsscilncss  in  the 


MONF.Y    AND   THE    KINGDOM. 


2C/, 


completest  self -giving.  He  who  receives,  but  does  not 
give,  is  like  the  Dead  Sea.  All  the  fresh  floods  of  Jor- 
dan'cannot  sweeten  its  dead,  salt  depths.  So  all  the 
streams  of  God's  bounty  cannot  sweeten  a  heart  that 
has  no  outlet;  that  is  ever  receiving,  yet  never  full  and 

overflowing.  ,      i      i    i 

If  those  whose  horizon  is  as  narrow  as  the  bushel 
under  which  they  hide  their  light  could  be  induced  to 
come  out  into  a  large  place,  and  take  a  worthy  view  of 
the  Kingdom  of  Christ  and  of  their  relations  to  it,  it 
they  could  be  persuaded  to  make  the  principle  of  Chris- 
tian giving  regnant  in  all  their  life,  their  happiness 
would  be  as  much  increased  as  their  usefulness. 


INDEX. 


PACK 

214,  215 

Adams,  John ' '  ■ 170 

A|ricuUuraVresoiirces"of  the  United  States.'  .■.■:.■.■.'.■ 23,  24 

Product  for  1880,  note 3g 

Alaska,  timber  lands  of 4g 

Alexander  III • 127 

Alcohol,  increase  in  use  ol .j^-,  ,,jg 

Americans,  physical  degeneracy  ot "208-227 

Anglo-Saxons  and  the  world  s  futuie ong  -to 

Two  great  ideas  represented  by •  ■. """-  r"-" 

Multiplication  and  expansion  of,  in  modern  times ^.^^  -10 

ll^^o^fgmo^y^kcU^einlhVUnitedStl^es-thanYnUreaiB 

Characteristics  of    ;;;35,  36,  37 

Arable  lands  of  the  ^V  est '  3g 

Of  the  East 23 

Area  of  China 23  24 

Of  the  United  States '  7g 

"    "    Argentine  Republic 3g 

"     "     Arid  lands 33 

Arizona,  lands  of '37 

Arkansas,  timber  lands  ol 51 

Armament  of  Europe jg^  l,;g 

Armies,  cost  of  standing og  "50 "  loe'  170 

Arnold,  Matthew "  '      '        '    35 

Artesian  Wells 17 

Atkinson,  Dr .j^  I79 

Atkinson,  Edward "48  71 

Austria .■.■.■.'.■.■.■.    263 

Bacon,  Lord 31 

"  Bad  Lands  " •  ■ sn  'si   94 

Baltimore,  Third  Plen.  Council  of »"'  °^'^°^ 

Barrows,  Dr.  W.  M 218 

Baxter,  Dr ru'iio,  217 

Beard,  Dr.  Geo.  M • y\v-u '   oi{  o-ii 

Beautiful,  how  far  may  we  gratify  our  love  for  the  ? -»<i  -^j 

Beecher,  Henry  Ward gg 

Bellarmine,  Cardinal „-  qg 

Bible  in  Public  Schools '  ^2 

Bishops'  oath 7q 

Bismarck 13g 

Blanc,  Louis 35 

Blanchard,  Rev.  A 4,1 

Borax 14.-, 

Boruttau • l.)7 

Boscawen 47 

Boulangism 237 

Bowker,  R.  R {39  ly^ 

Brewer's  Congress '  "'  .,12 

British  Colonies,  increase  in  population  in -^^g 

Brown,  Rev.  Dr.  C.  0 72  78 

Brownson  Dr.  O.  A '2q2 

BurkCj  Edmund 215 

ay 


270  INDEX. 

Biislincll,  Dr J'J::,  224,  229,  2:!0 

liutler,  Bishop 211 

Buxton Ill 

California,  extent  of,  30  ;  gold,  38 ;  iron,  40  ;  wealth  of 41 

Caiiii.lKll,  I^rd 17 

(  ali-.h,  Kabbi <l!i 

<  ';i|)ital,  consecration  of 24:;-24.') 

(  arlvlf 20:: 

(  arn-ll,  Dr.  H.  K 24". 

(  alrrhisni,  Itoman 84,  8.5 

(alholic  I'uiversity  at  "Washington U.5 

(  at t le  ■•  Kings  " lo'J 

(  h ild  labor 147,  148 

China,  area  and  population  of 23 

Churches,  Fvangelical 88 

Church  Members,  proportion  of  in  states  and  territories 201,  202 

Number  of 88 

Contributions  of,  per  caput 247 

Wealth  of 248-250 

City,  the  peril  of  the 179-190 

Growth  of. 17'J 

Proportion  of  foreigners  in ISO,  181 

I,iqu()r  Power  in 181 

■\Vcaltli  and  poverty  in 181-183 

Socialism  in 183-185 

Kiimbcr  of  churches  to  population  in 185 

Religious  destitution  of 185-187 

Government  of 187-189 

Clark,  Dr.  N.  G 22G 

Coal 25,  40 

Colorado,  gold  and  silver  products  of,  39 ;  wealth  of 41 

Commerce,  domestic I'Vl 

Commerce  follows  the  missionary 28 

Comstock,  Anthony 130 

Comstock  Lode ".9 

Contributions  of  various  denominations  to  Home  Missions 247 

Cook,  Joseph 140,  144, 150 

Copper 40 

Cotton-gin 10 

Cotton,  C.  B.  eonfes.sions  of 134, 1.35 

Cotton  Exchange  of  New  York 168 

Cousin 104 

Crime 57 

Criminals,  increase  of 59 

Immigration  of 55 

Crosbv,  Dr  Howard 136,  174 

Dakota,  30 ;  "  Bad  Lands  "of. 31 

Dale,  Kev.  Dr 106 

D'Alembcrt 136 

D'Aranda 21.t 

Darwin,  Professor 218,  219,  223 

Debts,  public,  of  Eurojic 52 

Density  of  population  in  European  States  and  United  States 210 

Desert 31-35 

De  Tocqueville 42,  50, 152, 190 

Deuster,  P.  V 131 

Diagram,  showing  wealth  of  church  members  and  gifts  to  missions 250 

Showing  wealth  and  contributions  of  church  members 250 

Showing  Cit V  populat  ion 178 

Showing  wealth  of  liiitc  il  Stales ll>3 

Showing  (•aniiiif,'s  and  ex [m  uses  of  working  men 138 

Shiiwing  !ii|ii(ii-  bill  .nnipaiiMl  with  contributions 121 

Showing  Moinion  |iii>sis>iiins Ill 

Showing  wealth  producing  land  of  East  and  West 29 

Showing  native  and  foreign  population  of  the  United  States 44 

Showing  strength  of  Uomanism  in  territories "     62 

Diakens 221 

Discontent 150-l.'i7 

Division  of  school  fund MS 


INDEX. 


271 


. . .     192 

[:;,;;;:;^tcr;i3r:i):;;;;;;;;:::::::::::::::;;;;;::::://:''v;:v;;;;;;.^ 

Dike,  S.  W , ^^r 

East  of  the  Mississippi,  area 

Arable  lands •  •  •  •  •  ■  •  ■  •  •  :„  .;-- 

Ely,  Professor  E.  T ^     '       '  m' '>"o 

Emerson , •  •  • : '  .,7= 

Empire,  westward  moveiueut  ot - 

Englisli,  Bishop jj 

!•  airl>:.irn,  William j     j^ 

J-uwrrtt.rrof.ssor '^•^'^f. 

Im  ,1  al  1 1,  li  1 1 1  >  c  li"  history r' 

Fo<»l  iKi-  .aiiut,  in  United  States  and  Europe  ._. * 

Foroign-boru  population  in  United  States  in  1880,  5o ;  m  18i)0 .;•> 

Tendency  toward  aggregation  of. ;.,,  o m 

Foreign  population,  proportion  of,  in  western  states  and  territoi  les 60,  201 

And  crime '--j 

And  liquor  traffic ■^_ 

France {{o  .m j 

Franklin,  Benjamin '  "...j 

Fremont,  J.  C ■ ^ • 9'.,',, 

Frontier  population,  heterogeneous  character  oi ^^ 

Froude "  j  y 

Fulton's  steamboat 9j  - 

Galiani j^^g 

Gambling  spirit 99  20"! 

Garfield  President MoVlSS.'iss;  188 

George,  Henry • '^"'     °'     ^^  ^g 

Germany j43 

Socialism  in .„/- 

Gififen,  Robert ,;'^ 

Gilmour,  Bishop -     ,.,„ 

Giving,  Christian  ;  the  principle  stated o-ioJnt 

The  principle  applied ^^^  :*' 

The  principle  is  not  accepted  hy  the  church i-T">?'7 

Acceptance  of  the  principle  urged 2^27;  sb;  sl,  «I:70 

Gladstone '     '     '     '     '^^^■J 

Gold  and  si'lVer  product  of  the  United  States 2.>  ;>0 

Goodwin,  Dr.  E.  P J'^;; 

Gottschalk j.j.^ 

Graham,  Rohert ijij 

Grant,  General 05 

Grazing  lands  of  the  West •ii_-Vi 

"  Great  American  Desert  " i^ 

Great  Britain,  land  holders  in J^ 

Popular  discontent  in ■ 

Local  indebtedness  of „^;J 

Increase  of  population  m ^:" 

Great  Columbia  Plains 22g 

Grimm,  Jacob j^ 

Guizot ^^) 

Gypsum .,„ 

Hatton,  Joseph 2i9 

Heathen,  the  giving  by  converted -^^ 

Hecker,  Father '•'\Sl 

Herbert,  George ^^2 

Herodotus 221 

Higginson,  Francis .„- 

Holmes,  Oliver  Wendell 9^!^ 

Hoppin,  Prof ^^^^ 

Hughes,  Thomas .^n  or? 

Huio,  Victor ^^'-i'l 

Hungary 9,7 

Huxley,  Prof ■  •  • -\L 

Idaho,  extent  of,  30  ;  gold  and  silver,  39  ;  sulphur 4U 

Ideas,  progress  of  great ., 

Illinois,  wealth  of -,'. 

Illiteracy '" 


272  INDEX. 

Illiteracy  in  Initod  States TiO 

Iiiiiiiiffratiuti,  44-61 ;  causes  of ' ' "  *.  ' .' . . 44-.").) 

Inlluoiiee  of,  on  morals,  55-.58 ;  political  aspects  of .58-60 

A  lid  illiteracy 59 

Intelligence,  higher,  demanded  for  large  populations ..190-192 

Intemperance,  121-i;}7  ;  of  West  compared  with  East 130 

Intoxicants,  increase  in  use  of '  .126-128 

Ireland,  Archbishop 109 

Iron  ore [[[[[.[['.[[[[............      25 

Isaacs,  Rablii . 100 

Italy .'..'.".'.'......'.'..'.'  .48,  76 

Ivins,  Hon.  W.  M 169 

.lesuits 90 

Josephites 112 

Kam,  Bishop .68,  91 

Kanniii,  l)aiiui.v.i-jiii-.<an 2;!8,  2;i9 

Kans:i.'<,  :ilk;iliiu'  liiiul.s  of 39 

w.ahh of ■.■.'.::::::::;:::::::;  4i 

Kendrick    .\rchbi.shi)i) 82 

Kimball,  Ileber  C 120 

"  Kings,"  Cattle l.W 

Lafayette » .' ' . . "      91 

Lands,  exhaustion  of  public 203-207 

Laveleye,  Professor  De 78 

Lea,  Henry  Charles .67,  71 

Lead 40 

Lecky '.'..'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.     149 

Leo  XIII 64,  65,  66,  73,  78 

Leonard,Kev.  D.  L ll.i 

Liberal  League,  platform  of 100 

Liberty,  progress  of 1« 

Life,  increasing  valuation  of  human 19 

Liquor  Rill  of  the  nation 2.51 

Liquor  Power,  the,  131-137 ;  wealth  of 131 

Methods  of 133-1^5 

Liquor  traffic,  carried  on  by  foreigners 58 

Livy 172 

Lloyd,  H.  1) 16,S 

London,  Bitter  Cry  of  Outcast 182,  183 

Louisiana,  sulphur  of 40 

Lourdelot 26 

Lowell    Mrs.  J.  S 184 

Lunt,  Bishop 114 

Luxuriousness,  one  of  the  perils  of  wealth 171, 173 

Macaulay 1.52,  203 

Machinery,  labor-saving,  to  increase .54 

Influence  of 146, 147 

Superior  in  the  United  States 26 

Manimonisiii,  IdO-lGO:  corrupts  morals,  167  :  blocks  reforms,  169  ;  corrupts 

the  ballot-box 169 

Manning.  (  ardinal 63,  65,  67,  72 

Manufacturers  in  the  United  States 26-28 

Marble 41 

Materialism,  one  of  the  perils  of  wealth 170,  171 

Maurice,  Rev.  J.  F.  D 138 

McQuaid,  Bishop 75 

Mechanical  invention,  influence  of,  on  luxuriousness 1"2, 173 

Metropolitan  Opera  House  in  New  York,  subscriptions  for 251 

Mexico 71,  76 

Military  duty  in  Europe ■'i- 

Millionaires 174 

Milton ■.  .'.■.  .'.V 202 

Mineral  products  of  United  States  from  1870-1880,25;  oftheWest -10 

Minnesota,  timber  lands  of ..  37 

Wealth  of 41 

Missionary,  commerce  follows  the 28 

Mi.ssions,  amount  given  to 248 

Mississippi  and  affluents,  navigation  of 2:1 

Missouri,  iron,  40 ;  lead ..!...!!...... W 


INDEX.  273 

^[oiiey,  the  power  of ?>?«'  r'rv 

And  the  kingdom -■^^"-1^^ 

Montana,   extent,  30 ;  gold  and  silver ■" 

Montesquieu •  •  ■  ■  •  •  • 

Montgomery's  "  Mormon  Delusion     quoted ii/,  1 1«,  i-u 

Morals,  popular .". 

Mormon  Church,  officers  of ||^ 

Mormonis^m^n-120Vpolygaiiiynotan"esscntialpartof,  112;  strength  of, 

112, 113 ;  dangers  of,  117  ;  remedy  for ••:■••.••  •  •iio-^''" 

Mormons,  designs  of,  114,  115 ;  possessions  of,  115;  increase  of,  by  immi- 

gration,  116 ;  apostacy  of 11" 

Morse,  Professor,  S.  F.  B Yj^ 

Mudge,  Professor ;  •  •  •  •  •  •, •  •  •  •  ■ .  ,2^; 

Mulhal'l 2o,2/,46,lb(,,l,2 

Miiller,  Rev.  M ."■' 

Napoleon .' 

Nebraska,  lands  of '," 

Nervous  belt,  the • ^-* 

Nevada,  lands  of,  33 ;  gold  and  silver,  39;  borax 4U 

Newman,  Cardinal '^ 

New  England,  unimproved  lands  in ff 

New  Glarus 2" 

New  Granada .'J 

New  JNIexico •^"'  1^^ 

New  York,  unimproved  lands  in f^ 

Wealth  of 41 

Nihilists •  •     lit 

Northampton, Mass ij/,  ij.. 

Oath  of  bishops 't 

Opium,  increased  consumption  of >~^ 

Optimism,  political '^ 

Oregon,  iron  ore  of ^0 

Park,  Professor ^^^f 

Parochial  schools ■'•; 

Patents  issued  by  English  Government,  18 ;  by  United  States 26,  54 

Pennsylvania,  unimproved  lands  in 38 

Peril,  the  supreme 194 

Perils,  increase  of 262 

Petroleum  Exchange  of  New  York 168 

Pettenkofer  Dr.  Max  von 129 

Phelps  Professor A'n  Ja 

"Physical  Degeneracy  of  Americans" 217,  218 

Pius  IX       .    . 64,  70,  71,  74,  84 

Plutarch 104 

Polygamy  not  an  essential  part  of  Mormonism 112 

Population,  density  of,  in  European  states  and  United  States 216 

Possessions,  God's  ownership  in  our 230-232 

Powell,  J.  W 34,36 

Power  distribution  of;  the  fundamental  idea  of  popular  government.  .192, 193 

Loom 16 

Precious  metals 2.5 

Preston,  Vicar-General 66, 93 

Produce  Exchange  of  New  York IfiS 

Public  lands,  exhaustion  of 203-207 

Public  School  and  Romanism 74, 92 

Bible  in 95, 96 

Religion  in 92-110 

Not  Protestant 98 

Rae,  John ooo  oo^ 

Races,  competition  of 222--25 

Railways,  construction  of,  from  1870  to  1880 53 

In  the  world 1^ 

Of  Great  Britain,  passengers  conveyed  by 17 

Rainfall 37 

Rawlinson 219 

Resources,  national "oq 

River  flow,  miles  of _    2.3 

Roman  Catholics,  two  types  of '9-8a 


274  INDEX. 

Itonian  Catholics,  allegiance  of (V4 

Kuuiauisni  G2-yu;  lunaaiiKiital  principles  of, (12,  76;  couipaiod  wiili  Amer- 
ican instiliitions  iV,;-'l  ;  un-American 97 

Attitiule  of,  toward  our  free  institutions 78,79 

Growth  of,  In  the  I  nitcd  States 8.5-Ul 

Losses  of,  in  the  L  iiited  States 86-94 

In  the  West 89-91 

licsponsiblc  for  skepticism 86 

Statistics  of 88 

University  of,  at  Washington,  95;  and  popular  education 75,76 

Uuskin 237 

Kussia 49, 76 

lint  lierford 255 

Sacrifice,  the  law  of 239-241 

Salt 40 

Schatr,  Professor 82 

Schauffler,  Kev.  H.  A 186 

Sehaiiftler,  Kev.  A    F 187 

School  1  and,  division  of <)8 

Scli'iuppe,  Father (iy 

Seeuralists,  and  tlie  I'ublic  Schools 99 

Seelye,  Pres.  J.  H 143, 160 

Settlers,  influence  of  early 195-202 

Seward,  W.  II 38 

Shea,  Chief  Justice 100 

Shearman,  Thomas  G 174 

Silver  and  gold  product  of  the  United  States 25 

Slavery IS 

Smallev,  K.  V 32,34 

Sinith,'Adam  155, 215 

Smith,  Prof.  R.  M 47 

Socialism,  138-161 ;  increase  of,  in  Germany, 48;  Socialistic  Labor  Party,  139, 
140;  International  Workiiignien's  Association,  139-143 ;  Chicago 
.socialists,  142;  pnss.  142;  increase  of,  143-144;  influenced  by  immi- 
gration, 143,  144  ;  l)v  individualism,  144;  by  skepticism,  145;  by  de- 
velopment of  classes,  145-149;  by  discontent,  150-156 ;  conditions  of 

the  West  peculiarly  favorable  tothe  growth  of 158, 160 

Soda 40 

Southey 225 

South  Carolina,  wealth  of 4* 

Si)ain 76 

Spencer,  Herbert 26,  138,  188,  220 

Si)inning  mule l** 

Springer,  W.S 1"9 

"  Staked  Plain  "  of  Texas 32 

Storv.  .lodge 101 

Sulphur...*'. ,      4Q 

Sumner,  Charles 1*2,215 

Syllabus  of  Frrors *">4, 74 

'raniniany, leaders  of 1§8 

'J'axat  ion"  in  ICurope  and  United  States •'•2 

Tayl(,r,  .Icrcmy. 256 

Teiegrajih  1  i  lies  of  the  world 1' 

Annual  messages 17 

Tenement  houses 184 

Tennyson 219, 22C 

Texas,  30;  capable  of  sunjiorting  present  population  of  United  States..      31 
"Staked  Plain"  or,  32:  timber  lands  of,  37 ;  iron.  40;  gypsum,  40; 

division  of,  into  several  states 42 

Thomas,  Gov 118 

Timber 7,  3.5,  37 

Tithes,  misconception  of  the  doctrine  of 230,2:il 

Tithing 2;}0-232 

Tramps  taking  possesson  of  a  town 160 

Trusts l.'>5 

United  States,  area  of,  23,  24;  agricultural  resources  of,  23,  2.5;  increase  of 

population  in,  212;  the  seat  of  Anglo-Saxon  power 214,216 

Utah,  lands  of.  32;  iron 40 

Vatican  Council 6a 


INDEX.  275 

Vermont,  wealth  of 4t 

Venillot,  M.  Louis ^ ":! 

Virtue,  higher,  deuiiiiided  for  large  iiopulations I'JO,  1"J1 

Vou  Moltke 50 

Wall  Street  Kings 154 

Warren,  Kev.  Dr.  J.  II 90 

Washington 105 

Waste  Lauds  of  East 38 

Wealth,  perils  of,  162-177  ;  per  caput  in  several  states,  41 ;  produced  from 
1870  to  185tO,  162;  meaning  of,  in  the  United  States,  16G;  aristocracy 

Ci,  in  the  United  States,  160,167 ;  congestion  of 173-175 

Webster lOl,  104, 1U9 

Wells,  David  A 218 

Wesley,  John 242 

West,  Z,OH(/o;!    Thni's  on  the  rapid  development  of,  20;  live  stock  in,  38; 

mineral  wealth  of,  38,  39  ;  foreign-born  population  in _    60 

Western  Reserve,  two  towns  on  the 195-197 

Wheat  Lands « •^•'5 

Whipple 170, 216 

W^hittier 19i> 

Wives,  English  sale  of 19 

Womanhood,  increasing  honor  to 18, 19 

Woodruff.  Wilford 118 

Woolsey,  President 104,  192 

Wright,  Carroll  D 259 

Wyoming,  iron,  40 ;  sulphate  of  soda 40 

Young,  Brigham 113 

Young,  C.E 129 


American  Home  Missionary  Society 

BIBLE   HOUSE,  N.  Y. 


Rev.  David   B.  Coe,  Honorary  Secretary. 

Rev.  Joseph  B.  Clark,  Rev.  William  Kincaid,  Secretaries. 

Rev.  Alex'b  H.  Clapp,  Treasurer. 


Sixty-five  years  ago  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society 
was  organized  to  assist  congregations  that  are  unable  to  support  the 
Gospel  ministry,  and  to  send  the  Gospel  and  the  means  of 
Christian  education  to  the  destitute  within  the  United 
States. 

It  began  its  work  near  tlie  commencement  of  that  great  "  world- 
movement"  described  in  this  volume.  In  1826,  when  Western  New 
York  was  a  frontier  region,  two-thirds  of  its  missionaries  were  found 
in  this  State. 

Now  they  are  laboring  in  nearly  every  State  and  Territory  of  the 
Union ;  1,.377  being  in  States  south  and  west  of  New  York.  Who 
can  estimate  the  influence  they  are  exerting  in  building  up  the  new 
commimities  on  Christian  foundations  ? 

Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  and  scope  of  the  Society's  work  may 
be  gained  from  the  following  facts. 

In  sixty-five  years  its  missionaries  have  organized  5,621  churches 
and  brought  2,663  to  self-support.  They  have  gathered  into  these 
churches  388,281  members.     Cash  receipts,  $13,984,024.91. 

Dm-ing  the  sixty-fifth  year  1,912  missionaries  ministered  *^o  3,270 
congregations  and  154,722  Sunday-school  scholars ;  organizing  212 
new  churches  and  292  Sunday-schools ;  and  receiving  into  the  chm-ches 
11,320  members.     Cash  receipts,  $635,180.45. 

Never  before  were  the  calls  for  Home  Missionary  work  so  loud. 
Never  were  the  doors  so  wide  open  in  all  parts  n^  the  land.  Never 
were  our  institutions  in  greater  peril.  Read  '  -  this  book  of  these 
perils  and  their  remedy.  Then  let  every  patric./  and  Christian  ask 
if  he  is  not  responsible  for  applying  this  remedy.  The  average  cost 
to  this  Society  for  erch  of  its  missionaries  is  $341  per  year. 

Are  there  not  many  who  will  each  contribute  enough  to  support 
at  least  one  such  Christian  worker  ? 


SAVE   AMERICA  TO  SAVE  THE  WORLD, 


DR.  PIERSOX'S  LATEST  WORK. 


Stumbling  Stones  Removed 

from  the  Word  of  God. 

By  Rev.  ARTHUR  T.  PIERSON,  D.D. 


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of  a  general  character  are  laid  down,  as  to  make  clear  the  literal 
truth  of  many  passages  which  to  some  minds  have  previously  been 
doul)tful  or  only  capable  of  the  explanation  that  they  Were  used 
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WHAT  JESUS   SAYS; 

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SOCIALISM    AND 

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By  A.  J.   F.   BEHRENDS,  D.D. 
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reference  to  the  social  and  industrial  movements  that  are  taking  place  about  it. 

CONTENTS: 

I.  Social  Theories.  II.  Historical  Sketch.  III.  The  Assumptions  of 
Modern  Socialism.  IV.  The  Economic  Fallacies  of  Modern  Socialism. 
V  The  Rights  of  Labor.  VI.  The  Responsibilities  of  Wealth.  VII.  The 
Personal  and  Social  Causes  of  Pauperism.  VIII.  The  Historical  Causes 
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X,    Modern  Socialism,   Religion,  and  the  Family. 

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York  Observer.  ■     •   ,        r 

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EVANGELISTIC   WORK 

In  Principle  and   Practice. 

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THE 

GREAT  VALUE  AND  SUCCESS 

OF    FOREIGN    MISSIONS. 

PROVED  BY  DISTINGUISHED  WITNESSES. 


By  Rev.  JOHN  LIGGINS. 

mU  an  Introduction  by  Rev.  ARTHUR    T.   PIER  SON,  D.D. 

12mo,  249  pages.    Paper,  35c. ;  cloth,  75c. 


A  POWERFUL  presentation  of  overwhelming  evidence,  mainly  from 
independent  sources,  and  largely  that  of  Diplomatic  Ministers,  Viceroys, 
Governors,  Military  and  Naval  Otflcers,  Consuls,  scientiie  and  other 
Travellers  in  Heathen  and  Mohammedan  countries,  and  in  India  and 
the  British  Colonies.  The  book  also  contains  leading  facts  and  late 
statistics  of  the  missions. 

"  The  best  answci  ^vnich  could  be  given  to  recent  as  well  as  former  attacks  on 
foreign  missionary  work.  A  grand  service  has  been  done  to  the  cause  of  Christian 
missions,  and  I  am  sure  the  book  will  accomplish  a  vast  amount  of  good."  —  Rev. 
S.  L.  Baldwin,  D  D.,  Secretary  ef  the  Methodist  Missionary  Society. 

"The  author  has  performed  a  service  of  infinite  value.  His  book  will  be  a 
revelation  to  many  and  an  inspiration  to  all  "  —  l\ev.  A.  Sutherlatid,  D.  D.,  in  ttie 
Missionary  Outlook. 

"By  far  the  most  remarkable  book  on  foreign  missions  yet  published  "  —  The 
Church  of  To-Day. 

"  I  have  been  profoundly  interested.  It  is  one  of  the  most  graphic  stories  I  have 
ever  read  "  —  Bishop  Whipple. 

"It  is  a  settler.  Send  out  the  book  as  on  the  wings  of  the  winds."  —  Rev. 
Theodore  L.  Cnyler,  D.  D. 

"A  royal  book.     A  mighty  massing  of  testimony."  —  Rev.  A.   T.  Pier  son,  D.  D 

"  The  book  will  be  found  of  immense  value."  —  Ne7U  York  Observer. 

"A  triumphant  demonstration  of  the  success  of  missions."  —  Canadian  Methodiil 
Magazine. 

"  An  admirable  work,  and  pre-eminently  timely  "  —  Bishop  Potter. 


Sent,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  CO.,  Publisherg, 

740  and  742  Broadway,  New  York. 


THE    ONE    GOSPEL; 

OR 

The  Combination  of  the  Narratives  of  the  Four  Evangelists 
in  one  Complete  Record, 

SDITED  BY  REV.  ^\.RXHUR  T.   JPIERSON,  D.l) 

12mo  Flexible  Cloth,  Red  Edges,  75  Cents. 
Limp  Morocco.  Full  Gilt,  $2.00. 


The  four  Gospels  have  been  aptly  styled  "Four  "Witnesses." 
Ill  a  Court  of  law,  after  witnesses  have  taken  the  stand,  it  is  of  great 
importance  so  to  sum  up  their  testimony  with  care  and  skill,  as  to  pre- 
sent at  one  view  every  particular  detail  of  the  evidence,  avoiding 
both  omission  and  repetition,  and  at  the  same  time  bringing  unity 
and  harmony  out  of  seeming  diversity  and  divergence. 

Somewhat  such  is  the  aim  of  this  work.  Each  Evangelist  furnishes 
some  matter,  found,  if  at  all,  not  so  fully  in  the  other  records.  It 
has  been  sought  to  blend  all  the  various  features  of  the  four  narratives 
into  one,  without  losing  whatever  is  distinctive  in  each  Where 
words  or  phrases  are  retained  which  seem  almost  equivalent,  the 
risk  of  repetition  has  been  preferred  to  that  of  losing  even  a  slight 
shade  of  meaning  needed  to  complete  the  inspired  picture  of  the  life, 
words  and  works  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  it  has  been  sought  to  secure 
a  full  rather  than  a  smooth  rendering. 

The  text  of  the  authorized  version  has  been  closely  followed,  with- 
out the  italics,  which  there  mark  words  sujjplied  by  the  translators; 
and  to  avoid  confusion,  using  the  word  "  demon  "  for  "  devil  "  where 
evil  spirits,  not  Satan,  are  meant.  Paragraph  divisions,  as  determined 
by  the  plain  sense  of  each  passage,  have  also  been  adopted  to  avoid 
the  loss  of  connection  and  continuity. 

Without  taking  the  place  of  the  four  Gospels  this  book  may  be  an 
aid  in  their  study — a  commentary  wholly  biblical,  whereby  the  reader 
may,  at  one  view,  see  the  complete  and  harmonious  testimony  of  four 
independent  witnesses. 


Sent,  post-pa  ill,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

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KEYSTONES  OF  FAITH; 

Or,  W^hat  ^nd  Whv  We  1::3elie:ve. 

BY  WOLCOTT  CALKINS,  D.  D. 

i6mo,  Cloth,  Gilt  Top,  75  Cents. 


This  book  is  designed  for  young  Christians  and  busy  people 
who  need  a  brief  outline  of  the  great  doctrines  of  grace,  in  which 
all  evangelical  denominations  agree.  In  the  body  of  the  work,  Chap- 
ters I. — VIII.,  this  is  given  in  i:)opular  language,  free  from  all 
technical  phrases  of  theology  ;  in  Chapters  IX.  and  X.  another 
outline  is  given  in  the  language  of  the  Catholic  and  evangelical 
confessions  ;  and  in  Chapter  XL  still  another  short,  but  complete, 
outline  is  given  in  the  exact  language  of  Scripture. 

"  I  wish  it  might  be  read  by  every  member  of  the  Societies  of 
Christian  Endeavor,  for  whom  the  preface  tells  us  it  was  especially 
written.  A  short,  readable,  and  yet  comprehensive  and  scholarly 
manual  of  our  accepted  doctrines,  which  young  people  aud  busy  peo- 
ple woidd  read  and  could  understand,  was  much  needed.  I  think 
Dr.  Calkins  has  supplied  just  this  need." — Bev.  Francis  E.  Clark. 

'•With  great  fidelity  and  clearness  the  author  has  gathered  up 
the  essential  truths  of  the  gospel  that  are  received  without  contro- 
versy, in  a  way  to  strengthen  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  believer." 
— Christian  Statesman. 

' '  Packed  full  of  sound  theology,  put  in  such  a  way  that  we  be- 
lieve it  will  be  read,  even  eagerly,  by  the  very  class  for  whom  it  is  in- 
tended—the young,  the  inexpei-ienced,  and  the  busy." — Golden  Rule. 

"It  is  finely  and  nobly  done." — Rev.  JL  S.  Siorrs,  LL.  D. 

"I  commend  both  its  sound  sense  and  clearness." — Rev.  Augus- 
tus II.  Strong,  D.  D. 

"  Is  all  that  it  claims  to  be  as  a  '  declaration  of  those  things 
which  are  most  surely  believed  among  us.'  " — Bishop  Vincent. 

"  Will  prove  a  most  useful  and  timely  setting  forth  of  the  great 
truths  of  God's  Word." — Rev.  Howard  Crosby,  D.  D. 

"We  heartily  commend  the  work."— Cohgregationalist. 


Sent,  post-paid,  on  receipt  of  price,  by 

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PUBLISHERS, 

740  and  742  Broadway,  New  York. 


WORKS  BY  M.  F.  CUSACK 

(  THE  NUN  OF  KENMA  RE). 


WHAT   ROME   TEACHES. 

i2mo,  cloth,  $1.25. 
Since  the  author's  conversion  to  Protestantism,  she  has  observed  with 
regret  how  few  Protestants  are  really  well  informed  as  to  the  actual  teach- 
ings of  Catholicism,  and  its  attitude  toward  politics  and  the  press.  This 
has  led  her  to  prepare  this  book  with  the  view  of  giving  information  where 
It  is  needed  and  will  be  of  value.  Her  intimate  knowledge  of  Catholic  doc- 
trine and  instruction,  her  long  experience  in  Romanist  work  and  association 
with  Romanist  workers,  and  her  command  of  a  vigorous  style,  admirably  tit 
her  to  prepare  a  work  of  value  and  interest. 

THE  NUN  OF  KENMARE, 

An  autobiography.     Crown  octavo,  cloth,  540  pages,  with  por- 
trait, $1.50. 

"  By  her  pen  she  has  made  her  name  famous,  and  some  of  her  works 
will  live  as  monuments  of  her  industry  and  her  accuracy  of  research.  We 
trust  that  Miss  Cusack,  being  now  freed  from  the  shackles  of  her  late  bond- 
age, will  see  her  way  to  some  sphere  of  labor  that  shall  be  more  beneficial 
to  herself  and  helpful  to  the  cause  of  'pure  religion  and  undefiled  before 
God  and  the  Father.'  "—The  Churchman,  New  York. 

"  We  sincerely  hope  that  Sister  Clare  may  go  forward  to  do  as  grand  a 
work  for  the  American  Church  in  her  declining  years,  as  she  did  for  the 
Roman  Church  in  Ireland,  when  in  her  youth  she  attained  to  world-wide 
fame  as  the  '  Nun  of  Kenmare,'  as  an  author,  and  as  a  benefactor  of  the 
poor." — The  Living  Church,  Chicago. 

LIFE  INSIDE  THE  CHURCH  OF  ROME. 

Crown  octavo,  410  pages,  $1.75. 

"  It  was  expected  that  Miss  Cusack  would  have  something  unusual  to 
tell  the  public,  and  now  that  the  book  has  at  length  seen  the  light,  it  is 
satisfactory  to  add  that  their  expectations  will  not  be  disappointed.  Miss 
Cusack  has  a  great  deal  to  reveal,  and  she  speaks  with  no  hesitating  soujid." 
—  The  Churchman,  London,  England. 

"  It  is  surprising  to  see  what  a  keen  insight  Miss  Cusack  has  into  the 
whole  Romish  system,  political,  social  and  literary." — The  Rock,  London 
England. 

*#*  The  above  books  sent,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  the  price  by 

THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  CO., 

740  &  742  Broadway,  New  York. 


1    1012  01126  3052 


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